Page 28 - Registrar Orientation Manual 2016

Memorandum
To: All Registrars, SHOs and HOs
From: John Bonning, Clinical Director, Emergency Department
cc: Jo-Anne Deane, Assistant Group Manager, Ambulatory Care & External Liaison Date: 20 February 2014
SUBJECT: Information for Inpatient Specialty Doctors Working in ED
Welcome to the Waikato – we look forward to working with you in the Emergency Department to facilitate the best care for our patients. The following information will hopefully help you find your feet in the department, but please feel free to ask any of us for help.
Who is Who in the Emergency Department
 The ED physicians can be identified by their black scrubs.
 The ED Physician in Charge (EPIC) of a shift has the role of facilitating the co-ordination of care of
all patients in ED including patient flow and should be able to help if you have any queries.
 The ED “Nurse in Charge” (NIC) is the nursing equivalent and wears a red top.
 The Flow Nurse is the other department co-ordinator who is often found at the main control desk in the adult staff base and may contact you to help facilitate care and movement of your patients.
 The EPIC has the mobile phone extn 23620
 The NIC can be contacted on 23221
 The Flow Nurse can be contacted on 23902.
Referral Specialty
 You should be familiar with the hospital specialty referral guidelines as to which specialty manages which patients. These are available on the Intranet: Speciality Referral Guidelines
Referred patients coming to ED:
 When you receive a phone referral from a GP, you may phone the ED reception on extension 96715 if the patient is acutely unwell and you would like to specify investigations or treatment to be initiated before you see the patient. We cannot take calls for every investigation on every patient but you can generally rely on us to initiate appropriate assessment and urgent management.
 If you see a patient in another part of the hospital (e.g. a clinic) and think the patient requires emergency assessment/treatment in ED you must first discuss this with the EPIC to ensure only appropriate patients with acute and urgent care requirements come to ED. As a general principle, you should refer them to the specialty who can best help them (per the referral guidelines).
 If a patient arrives at ED with a letter suggesting they have been referred to your service by a GP, even if you have not accepted a call about the patient, it is a requirement that you see the patient if the triage staff +/or EPIC consider the patient is an appropriate referral. This has also been mandated by the HDC and the Clinical Directors’ forum. If a Registrar declines a legitimate referral their Consultant will be contacted directly.
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