I've lost count of how many emergency departments across the state I've visited, from Broken Hill in the Far West to Tweed in the North, Moruya in the south and to Liverpool or Westmead in Sydney. While these hospitals differ in many ways, the fact is they're all under pressure.
Last quarter alone there were 810,291 ED attendances up 5.2% on the same quarter last year, which is an additional 40,235 attendances in just one quarter within 12 months. If you combined the populations of the Penrith, Newcastle, Wollongong and Fairfield Local Government Areas you would still just fall short of the number of ED attendances in NSW hospitals over 3 months.
It's why last month our Budget delivered almost a half a billion dollars towards an ED Relief Package. Today I announce the first stages of implementing this critical investment.
Firstly, to support people with alternatives to EDs. The fact of the matter is sometimes people turn up to hospital when it's not an emergency. We've seen what happens when alternatives are available. Our virtualKIDS service has cared for more than 3,600 children in just 4 months. We'll next roll-out virtualADULTS to help to manage urgent care that can be safely assessed and treated by virtual care in the patient's home.
If you or a loved one are feeling unwell, worried about symptoms or need health advice you can call healthdirect anytime on 1800 022 222 to get the help you need. A registered nurse will assess your condition and connect you with the care you need, whether an appointment at a local urgent care service or virtual care. It means healthcare, anywhere, in the time it takes to make a phone call.
Secondly, we need to enhance our capacity in EDs. Short Stay Units get people in and out of EDs swiftly and safely when they don't require a hospital admission. We're investing a further $70 million in expanding these units. The first additional unit is now operational at Maitland Hospital.
Thirdly, we seek to get patients safely out of hospital and into the comfort of their own homes quicker. We've invested $53.9 million towards a new Discharge Concierge Service. These roles will ensure the often complex and time-consuming discharge process is better coordinated.
The ED relief package will mean 290,00 trips to the ED and 76,800 hours waiting in the ED are avoided each year.
For health workers, who have been through so much in recent years, means more time with their patients, more colleagues to share this immense workload and better tools to do their job.
For patients, it will mean more options to get care beyond the ED, a shorter wait when they do need an ED - more time at home, less time in hospital.
For our state, it means the right level of care, support, and access.
