Ms ROSOL – I just want to go back to ambulance ramping, which we were talking about before and want to ask about some statistics relating to transfer of care delays or offload delays. Minister, just wondering if you could provide some statistics for the percentage of patients who arrive at hospital by ambulance who’ve experienced transfer of care delays of longer than 15 minutes. So can we get a statewide figure and also figures for each hospital please, of those transfer of care delays longer than 15 minutes?
Mr WEBSTER – Through you, minister. The statewide figure of transferred in less than 15 minutes is currently 64.6 per cent for the last three months and in the last financial year, 69.4 per cent. Going to the Royal, last financial year 61.1 per cent at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Launceston General Hospital, last financial year was 72.7 per cent were transferred in under 15 minutes. The North West Regional Hospital 79.5 per cent in under 15 minutes, and the Mersey Community Hospital, 84.7 per cent in under 15 minutes.
Ms ROSOL – Thank you for the figures you provided in my previous question around the 15‑minute delays to transfer of care. My understanding was, that always was the definition of ramping, if it took more than 15 minutes. I understand now that the definition has changed ‑ ramping is considered being where a transfer of care takes 30 minutes or longer. Can you confirm that you’ve changed the definition you use for ramping, and who signed off on that change to the definition?
Mrs ARCHER – I will ask the Secretary if he wants to add anything further, but I reiterate the point I made earlier, which is that what we are doing and what we have done is to take action to ensure that these patients are able to be transferred sooner, and as quickly as possible. The data supports that that is working. That is assisting in driving down those statistics ‑ but I will refer to the Secretary.
Mr WEBSTER – Through you, minister. We haven’t changed the definition. We continue to track 15 minutes, but we also track 30, 45 and 60 as well, so we haven’t changed the definition, we continue to track it.
Ms ROSOL – So, you’re still saying a transfer of care that takes 15 minutes or more is considered ramping? Where is the line now for what you consider ramping?
Mr WEBSTER – We don’t actually use the term. We use ‘transfer of care delay’. The reason we do that is that they are actually in the care of a paramedic who is a health professional. So, it’s not a case of – ‘ramping’ makes it sound like no‑one’s treating them. They’re actually in treatment, so we use transfer of care delay. We would see, as I said in my previous answer, that ideally you have them transferred within 15 minutes, and that’s why we track that, is that we want them transferred within 15 minutes. You’re not going to achieve 100 per cent, because there are going to be clinical reasons why you’re not transferring that quickly. But we continue to track 15, 30, 45 and 60, and quite deliberately, because we want to know, are we transferring within that clinical time?
Ms ROSOL – I use the word ramping because it’s been used by the Premier, I think it’s been used by the current minister, it’s been used by previous secretaries. That’s why I use the word ramping.
Mr WEBSTER – Through you, minister. My apologies, I wasn’t meaning to lecture. It’s just how we define it.
