Sharing the knowledge on speeding up EDs

The ED is the barometer of how a whole hospital is working," says the Minister of Health Tony Ryall. "For the ED to work efficiently, different parts of a hospital have to function cohesively. For example, it means there's a bed available in a ward if a patient needs admitting, and that radiology demands are being managed so people aren't waiting too long for X-rays."

EDs will manage their issues in different ways, and this booklet showcases some of the innovative approaches that have been successful. These include:

• A Rapid Round initiative at Auckland
• Hawke's Bay's CEO Daily Dashboard that identifies problem areas and a fix
• Working with health professionals outside the hospital system in Canterbury and South Canterbury
• Capital and Coast noting a particular group of patients were often the ones waiting longest in the ED
• A new minor injuries clinic at Hutt
• Counties-Manukau's successful all-of-staff approach.