By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
THE state paramedics union has welcomed today’s announced end to the hospital bypass system, though it doesn’t expect it will stop ambulance queues outside hospitals – otherwise known as ‘ramping’.
Ambulance Employees Australia state assistant secretary Danny Hill said the “overdue” change from 7 October would however end the “sudden surges” of ambulances – such as 10 arriving in 15 minutes – at one hospital due to nearby hospitals being on bypass.
Eighteen hospitals, including Monash Health hospitals, currently use the bypass system.
Mr Hill said the system had never been used as it was intended when introduced 20 years ago, which was for paramedics to bypass hospitals affected by a power outage or a security threat.
“Hospitals would instead just use it when they get really busy and then that causes the next nearest hospital to also get busy.
“It was just like the shuffling of deck chairs.
“By removing the bypass system, ambulances will arrive in a more steady, consistent flow.”
Victoria is the last Australian state and territory to have removed the bypass system.
According to the state’s Ambulance Performance and Policy Committee, bypasses contribute to ramping.
The system also caused ambulances to travel outside of their area and for ripple effects when hospital emergency departments go on bypass one after the other.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said the federation was consulted on the move, and was supportive “in principle”.
“We believe, with the appropriate funding and technology in place, Victoria’s major hospitals will be able to manage the switch to a non-bypass system.
“Health Minister Jill Hennessy has also assured us that the change will be evaluated once it has been implemented.”
Ms Fitzpatrick said she hoped the state’s $800,000 payment to help hospitals and Ambulance Victoria adjust to the change would be used for extra nurses.
As part of the change, Ambulance Victoria’s Hospital Information Co-ordinator (HIC) role, which helps distribute ambulances evenly across the hospital system, will extend its operations to 24/7.
Health Minister Jill Hennessy said scrapping bypasses would ensure all metropolitan hospitals were open to incoming ambulances.
“We are focused on ensuring our hospitals and ambulance service work better together to ensure patients are taken to the right hospital at the right time.
“Our hospitals are improving their systems so they can better manage high patient demand and by removing bypass, we will free up ambulances to respond more quickly to patients in the community.”
