Inappropriate GP referals to Emergency Departments

Ambulances transport a large amount of GP referals to ED for patients that should have been treated or given specialist referals by their GP. Most of these appear to be from rest homes where the GP has not even assessed the patient or the patient has been allowed to decline to the point that they are critically unwell.

The MOH needs to review all GP and rest home referals to ED to determine how many referals have been made inappropriately of due to inadequate assessments, misdiagnosis and inadequate access to GPs I'm rest homes.

Emergency Depatments are being used more and more for primary health rather than emergency medicine.

Ambulance and Emergency departments are having to deal with complex medical conditions that should be treated in primary health. Funding for GPs and rest homes needs to shift from patient load to appropriate patient outcomes. If patients are being sent to ED inappropriately, this should reflect in redirecting funds to where the actual care is being provided.