Whole-of-hospital response to admission access block: the need for a clinical revolution

Mallows, James L

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2010.tb03544.x

Topics

To the Editor: The Journal took a significant step forward in publishing the three articles on access block in the 6 April 2009 issue.1-4 Walters and Dawson’s viewpoint article,4 in a later issue, touches on some ideas that will be useful in finding solutions to access block — ideas that some hospitals are implementing. However, I am not sure a microsolution aimed purely at acute medical patients can be called a whole-of-hospital revolution.

Nepean Hospital, Sydney, NSW.

Correspondence: mallowj@wahs.nsw.gov.au

1. Fatovich DM, Hughes G, McCarthy SM. Access block: it’s all about available beds. Med J Aust 2009; 190: 362-363. <MJA full text>
2. Cameron PA, Joseph AP, McCarthy SM. Access block can be managed. Med J Aust 2009; 190: 364-368. <MJA full text>
3. Richardson DB, Mountain D. Myths versus facts in emergency department overcrowding and hospital access block. Med J Aust 2009; 190: 369-374. <MJA full text>
4. Walters EH, Dawson DJ. Whole-of-hospital response to admission access block: the need for a clinical revolution. Med J Aust 2009; 191: 561-563. <MJA full text>

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