Dear colleagues, 

We're pleased to share the latest developments from the ED Taskforce. Having met nine times so far, the Taskforce continues to identify improvements in accessing emergency care in NSW.

At the recent Taskforce meeting, Innovator of the Month, Professor Michael Dinh, showcased START (Sydney Triage to Admission Risk Tool). START was developed locally in collaboration with the Agency for Clinical Innovation and The University of Sydney and is a validated clinical decision-making support tool that identifies the likelihood of a patient being admitted or discharged from an emergency department. Future directions for the project include patient journey mapping using the Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR), Hospital in the Home (HiTH) and virtual triage-tele concierge models .

The Taskforce is actively supporting the implementation and monitoring of strategies associated with the $480.7 million four-year ED Relief Package.

Here's a snapshot of progress to date:

Hospital Access Targets  

As we mentioned in an earlier newsletter, the ED Taskforce endorsed adoption of seven new performance measures, including three new mental health targets. The Hospital Access Targets (HATs) were developed by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) and aim to improve the time it takes for a patient to be admitted or transferred, the length of time a patient is in the emergency department and patient discharge. The transition to seven new Hospital Access Targets  (HATs) commenced on 1 July 2024. Local Health Districts and Specialty Health Networks were given a 3-month transition phase to assist with the development of strategies to support statewide implementation of the HATs.

At the recent meeting, Taskforce members from two Local Health Districts provided an update on local HAT implementation.  Actions included:

• Development of daily and weekly HAT reports available at facility and Local Health District level
• Front-line engagement with managers and clinical leaders and
• Governance meetings to review performance.

NewGen Matrix project

Funded in the 2024-25 NSW Budget, the NewGen Matrix project aims to support optimal distribution of patients arriving by NSW Ambulance across emergency departments. The NewGen Matrix project team has made strides in the first six months concluding the design and build phase of the project and progressing into the feature development and testing phase. During the first phase of the project fourteen deliverables have been finalised, including establishment of a robust governance structure and development of an engagement strategy to prioritise rigorous consultation across the NSW Health system. An Acuity Framework has been developed with revised clinical categories to ensure NewGen can deliver improved clinical outcomes by ensuring that patients receive the right care in the right time at the right place.

Stay tuned with more updates soon!

Kind Regards,
Dr Trevor Chan
Co-Chair ED Taskforce
Clinical Director, Emergency Care Institute

Matthew Daly
Co-Chair ED Taskforce
Deputy Secretary, System Sustainability and Performance