Ambulance / Emergency Department Interface

In 2006-07, the department developed Better faster emergency care (2007) to set the policy direction to support continued reform of emergency care to ensure it best meets the needs of the community in the future. The policy framework identifies ten key priorities to further improve emergency care and access, including improving the coordination between emergency departments and ambulance services.

The Ambulance Interface Sub-committee was established by the department to provide recommendations to the Emergency Access Reference Committee (EARC) on priority issues relating to the ambulance interface with public hospital emergency departments in Victoria. Membership includes representatives from health services, Ambulance Victoria (AV), Australian College of Emergency Medicine and the College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. 

In consultation with the EARC and health service CEOs, Guidelines for ambulance presentations in the emergency department were developed in 2007.  The guidelines encourage a systematic approach to the reception and handover process for ambulance patients arriving at Victorian metropolitan hospital emergency departments. 

Guidelines for ambulance presentations in the emergency department - March 2007 (PDF File KB)

The department is working with AV and health services on a range of initiatives to improve patient care at the ambulance /emergency department (ED) interface.  These projects include:

• Redesigning Hospital Care Program Demonstration Project – Ambulance/ED Interface
• Pilot of Ambulance Arrivals Boards in three EDs
• Ongoing implementation of the Guidelines for ambulance presentations to the emergency department

The emergency demand escalation plan trialled in 2008 has been revised.  The plan clarifies the local and system wide escalation response to increasing emergency demand.  It reinforces the Guidelines for ambulance presentations in the emergency department and guides responses to local and system wide issues affecting bypass, managing ambulance distribution during peak demand periods, channels for communication between AV and hospitals and the processes to suspend bypass.

Emergency Demand Escalation Plan - July 2009 (PDF File 113KB)

Health service feedback has enabled the department to update the hospital specialty emergency services matrix. The matrix has been developed to assist AV identify the most appropriate specialist facilities for people with specific health conditions.

Ambulance services - Hospital specialty emergency services matrix - 2009 (PDF File 247KB)