AHS provides an update on ER protocols Updated: Fri Jan. 14 2011 18:06:33

ctvedmonton.ca

Since introducing new emergency room protocols nearly three weeks ago, Alberta Health Services says the situation in emergency rooms is improving. But the acting president and CEO of Alberta Health Services (AHS) says they still have a ways to go yet.

"I can't guarantee I'll meet the targets but that's what my performance is judged on so I'll do my best," said Dr. Chris Eagle.

Health officials addressed the media Friday saying the protocols have already reduced the number of patients in ERs waiting for admission to a hospital bed.

Officials report in September of last year, there were on average 80 patients in emergency room wait rooms in the morning waiting for admission to a hospital bed. There were 84 patients waiting on average in October, 71 in November and 48 in December. And on Friday morning, the number sat at 44.

"We see that the admitted patients are starting to increase, then it's a proactive, 'OK I'm going to make a couple of phone calls and I'm going to get my patients moved'", said emergency room physician Dr. Cheri Nijssen-Jordan.

When health officials outlined their comprehensive plan to deal with over capacity in ERs, they identified six situations where immediate action would be taken to free up space for patients.

Under the new plan, patients are being moved to other wards or community care facilities when the following situations occur:

Hospital occupancy exceeds 100 per cent
Patients in emergency rooms exceed 110 per cent
There are no additional beds in emergency wards to treat very ill people
There are seven or fewer ambulances on the road in Edmonton or Calgary
More than five patients in emergency have waited for more than eight hours to be admitted
The percentage of patients being treated in emergency while awaiting admission to hospital exceeds 35 per cent of available emergency care beds
Health officials say the protocols have been activated 20 times from December 20 to January 10 in Edmonton.

Friends of Medicare believe the protocols are just quick fix.

What you're doing is moving people from the emergency rooms, getting them into the hospital, but the wait time in the emergency room goes down, the wait time in the hospital ward goes up," said David Eggen with Friends of Medicare.
AHS has just over two months to reach specific targets that include getting 70 per cent of patients treated and released within four hours, and 45 per cent of admitted patients waiting eight hours or less for a hospital bed.

Flu numbers are also expected to get worse. And Eagle says with that, he can't guarantee those targets will happen.

"We're particularly concerned around the impact influenza may have on this health system," said Eagle.

With files from Laura Tupper