The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has called on NSW Health to lift its game and ensure GPs have the information they need to help patients following a hospital visit.
It follows reports today of a survey showing that 74% patients attending emergency departments in urban areas of NSW received a discharge summary, compared to only 43% in rural areas. In some communities the situation is even more dire, with only one in four patients receiving a discharge summary at Young, Deniliquin or Murwillumbah hospitals.
The RACGP has been calling for government to introduce measures to keep patients out of hospital. This includes support for GPs who see their patient within 7 days of an unplanned hospital admission or emergency department presentation.
RACGP NSW Chair Professor Charlotte Hespe called for action.
“This is not good enough,” she said.
“The survey results are very, very disappointing, I think we should be actually aiming for 100%. The RACGP has been calling on government to introduce a follow-up appointment with a GP within seven days of an emergency department visit or hospital admission and for good reason.
“We know that patients who have a post-hospital visit with their GP within seven days have a significantly lower risk of readmission with 30 days. It significantly improves patient health outcomes and reduces readmission rates by between 12 to 14%, so it’s a win-win for all. NSW Health’s own data reveals that a GP visit within two days of being discharged from an unplanned hospital admission can result in 32% fewer readmissions within the first week.
“At the very least, GPs need a discharge summary so that we are not kept in the dark. Without this information patients bounce in and out of hospital beds and their condition can deteriorate. Let’s get this right, our patients deserve no less.”
Professor Hespe said that NSW Health should make this a priority.
“NSW Health’s response to the survey results left a lot to be desired,” she said.
“Their spokesperson said that not every patient discharged from the emergency department requires a formally written discharge letter ‘particularly if further care by another health professional, such as a GP, is required’, which is just not good enough in my view. I expect more from NSW Health and patients across NSW should too. No one deserves to be left behind, it’s as simple as that.”
The Bureau of Health Information surveyed 22,000 patients who visited 77 hospitals across NSW from July 2021 to June last year.
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