Hospital Authority enhances monitoring of accident and emergency department patients (with photo)
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The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (April 19) that a series of measures to enhance monitoring of patients in accident and emergency departments (A&E) will be adopted, including enhancing manpower and introducing more technological systems. If a patient's condition changes while waiting in an A&E, healthcare workers could provide assistance immediately.
The HA spokesman said, "We attach great importance to patient safety. The HA understands the public concerns over the issues related to patients waiting in A&E. We have adopted a series of measures with immediate effect to enhance patient monitoring and improve patient safety." The measures include:
- Reminding A&E staff to enhance patrols in patient waiting halls and monitoring of patient conditions. If there is any abnormality in a patient's condition, assistance will be provided immediately and treatment by healthcare workers will be advanced;
- After treatment, A&E will try to arrange patients with higher risks to an area near healthcare workers. Healthcare workers will regularly monitor patients' conditions and provide assistance as soon as possible if their condition changes; and
- Hospital staff will increase the frequency of patrols of A&E toilets to once per hour, which includes the accessible toilet to minimise the risk of a patient in a toilet.
In addition to enhancing manpower to monitor A&E patients' conditions, the HA is now introducing a new technological system on a trial basis in some A&Es to enhance patient safety. It includes the installation of sensor systems on a trial basis in accessible toilets in some A&Es. If a patient falls down or remains still for a period of time in the toilet, the system will alert hospital staff who will immediately be deployed to the toilet to provide assistance.
In addition, the HA plans to introduce patient tracking systems on a trial basis in some A&Es starting from the third quarter this year. Suitable patient with consent will be given a tracking device after registration. The system can track a patient's location in an A&E. If there is any abnormality, healthcare workers can locate the patient and provide assistance immediately.
The spokesman added that all A&Es in newly completed hospitals will be equipped with related systems in the future. The HA will extend the systems to more A&Es in stages to strengthen the protection of patient safety.
Public hospitals have been relatively busy recently. According to patients clinical conditions, A&E will prioritise treatment for critically ill patients. Other patients with relatively stable conditions may have to wait for a period of time. The HA appeals to patients to be considerate and wait patiently. If their condition changes during the waiting, they should seek assistance from healthcare workers immediately.
Ends/Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Issued at HKT 19:52
Issued at HKT 19:52
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