Northern Health has opened new Ambulance Victoria (AV) transition cubicles in the Emergency Department this month, helping patients receive care sooner and supporting faster ambulance handover.

This initiative is part of a Department of Health-funded pilot focused on improving the safe and timely offload of patients from ambulances.

By reducing ambulance ramping and delays, the program helps get paramedic crews back on the road more quickly to serve the Northern community.

Located near the ambulance entrance, the new cubicles allow patients arriving by ambulance to move straight into a clinical space where assessment and treatment can begin.

The initiative also includes increased senior medical and nursing staffing, meaning patients are seen earlier and care decisions can be made more quickly.

The transition cubicles are designed for short stays (usually under an hour) and are used to start early care such as observations, pain relief and initial tests. Patients are then safely moved to the most appropriate next step, whether that’s an ED cubicle, a hospital bed or the waiting room to await further treatment.

Emergency Department Nurse Unit Manager, Amanda Paleologos, said the new model is already making a difference.

“These new cubicles mean we can start caring for patients much sooner after they arrive, rather than them waiting on an ambulance trolley,” she said.

“With more senior staff on the floor, we’re able to assess patients earlier, make decisions faster and improve the overall flow through the department. It’s better for our patients and helps our ambulance colleagues get back out to the community sooner.”

This pilot reflects Northern Health’s commitment to improving access, reducing wait times and delivering better care for the whole Northern community.

Pictured in featured image: Ben from Ambulance Victoria flanked by Sal Mathew and Julia Fotiadis (Clinical Nurse Unit Managers, Emergency Department).