Federal Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot yesterday announced a $2 million medical assessment unit within the hospital designed to take pressure off the Emergency Department.

Director of Medical Services Dr Louis Christie said the assessment unit would assess and treat patients over a short period before they were discharged.

“Our task now is to make sure we get the model right,” Dr Christie said.

He said the eight-bed unit would take in patients who could be discharged after a relatively short stay. This could include diabetics or those with lung problems or asthma.

“Instead of them spending four or five hours in the emergency department, they would immediately be put into this unit for a brief but intensive treatment program,” he said.

Minister Elliot said the unit would provide a system of treatment to free up Orange’s busy intensive care department.

“The medical assessment unit will provide an alternative pathway for complex non-critical medical patients who present to the emergency department,” she said.

After touring Orange Base Hospital yesterday and speaking with patients, Ms Elliot met with local health professionals to hear their concerns about aged care treatment and other health challenges.

Chair of Orange Base Hospital’s Medical Staff Council Dr Ruth Arnold said medicos would workshop the project next week to look at various unit models in place at other hospitals.

“We need to be very careful we choose the most effective model which will speed up the process for patients,” she said.

Dr Arnold said the Minister gave local medicos a good hearing, listening to their concerns about the delivery of services for aged care patients in the Greater Western Area Health Service.

Dr Arnold said the Minister heard first-hand yesterday that per-capita average funding needed to be increased for rural patients.

There also needed to be a more co-ordinated approach by federal and state governments on health issues and a more pro-active and flexible approach when it came to treatment for rural patients.

“We want the Rudd Government to realise there has to be a commitment to deliver quality health service in this region,” she said.

Ms Elliot and Dr Arnold encouraged residents to have their say on health issues at www.yourhealth.gov.au.