A dedicated Health System Operations Command Centre is helping coordinate hospital capacity, ambulance services and patient transfers across NSW during periods of increased winter demand.
The Health System Operations Command Centre co-locates System Flow Officers, NSW Ambulance, and Patient Transport Services to strengthen system-wide coordination and operational oversight.
The System Flow Officers work closely with all 17 local health districts and speciality health networks, to identify emerging pressures and assess demand for care in emergency departments.
When the Command Centre identifies an ED experiencing a high volume of emergency presentations, it works closely with NSW Ambulance to safely redirect suitable patients with non-life-threatening conditions to alternative hospitals with available capacity.
This coordinated approach helps patients access appropriate hospital care sooner, and ambulances can return to the community to continue responding to emergencies, said NSW Health Secretary, Susan Pearce AM.
“We’ve had command centres before in period of peak demand, but now we’re making it permanent to give us strong oversight over how the system is responding to the demands of the season,” said Ms Pearce.
“This is just one of the ways we have prepared the healthcare system for winter. We also have the capacity to surge up bed numbers as needed, extend operational hours for hospital services, and support our staff to improve patient flow through hospitals.”
During periods of heightened demand, the Command Centre also prioritises patients awaiting Patient Transport Services for transfer home or to residential aged care facilities.
ED presentations and admissions for influenza-like illness have continued to increase in recent weeks across the state, including for children aged less than 10 years.
Influenza notifications have increased and currently circulating at a moderate level, with 2,509 notified cases in the week ending 25 July. This represents only a small proportion of the total number of people with influenza in the community, because only those who have a laboratory test will be notified, NSW Health said in a statement.
