Media release: 'Where to Get Care' campaign

The campaign directs South Australians to care options beyond the emergency department – including the SA Virtual Care Service and community mental health services – for conditions that are urgent but not emergencies.

AMA SA President Associate Professor Peter Subramaniam says helping people find the right care, in the right place, is a sensible response to the pressure the system is under.

'Our emergency departments need to be reserved for emergencies, but many patients aren't sure where else to turn – especially after hours and for mental health support,' A/Prof Subramaniam says.

'A clear, well-publicised guide to the alternatives is a practical step, and the government deserves credit for taking it.

'June's ramping figures show why the campaign is needed now. Demand is rising during winter, and every patient who gets the right care without joining an emergency queue relieves pressure at the front door – for themselves and for the patient in the ambulance behind them.'

A/Prof Subramaniam says the campaign's success will ultimately depend on the capacity of the services it points to – above all, general practice and community care.

'A signpost only helps if the door it points to is open. This campaign will only work if it's backed up by sensible investment targeted at the right places.

'General practice is the foundation of care outside our hospitals. If we want patients treated earlier, closer to home and out of emergency queues, we must strengthen community care.

'That means supporting general practices to offer timely and after-hours access, strengthening chronic disease management and properly resourcing community mental health teams so these pathways can absorb the demand being directed to them.'

A/Prof Subramaniam says that while directing patients to alternatives is important, the Government also needs a clearer picture of who is presenting to emergency departments and why.

AMA SA has written to the Health Minister recommending the establishment of a demand-driver dashboard – a publicly available dashboard on the SA Health website that would break down ambulance arrivals by cohort, showing, for example, whether patients are presenting with mental health concerns, chronic disease complications or aged-care-related needs.

'AMA SA has been saying for some time that we need to treat the cause, not the queue – and that starts with understanding who is arriving at our hospitals and why,' A/Prof Subramaniam says.

'Directing patients to alternative care pathways is important, but it's only part of the solution. If we want to reduce pressure on our emergency departments in the long term, we need better visibility of the demand driving that pressure.

'Only then can we make targeted investments in community care, aged care and mental healthcare to ensure the system is equipped to meet community demand and reduce avoidable pressure on our emergency departments.'

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