DescriptionThe Patient Bay - Emergency, Ambulatory Treatment (also referred to as “Fast Track”) provides the space equipment and services for assessment, treatment and observation of ambulant patients with non-complex (e.g. single system) acute conditions and injuries requiring a short episode of care within the Emergency Unit.Hours of Operation24 hoursOccupancy1 patient; 1 visitor; 1-2 staff intermittentlyAdditional Considerations~ Clear line of sight to the patient in the patient bay from a staff station/write-up area is required for patient observation.
~ A handwash basin is to be provided for every 4-6 patient bays. Quantity and location of handwashing basins in relation to the patient bay will be subject to the overall department layout and informed by ensuring reasonable travel distances and ease of access from each patient bay. Close access to dedicated PPE bays shared between patient bays is also required separate to bays for handwashing basins. Refer to Part D: Infection Prevention and Control for more information.
~ A wall clock should be visible from all clinical areas in the Emergency unit. The location and type of clocks provided, including any required connection to a master clock system, is to be determined at a project level.
~ The content and configuration of the medical services panel (MSP), including medical gases, power and data, will be dependent on clinical services requirements and the services requirements of selected equipment. Final configuration is to be confirmed at project level.
~ The clear area required on each side of the patient trolley for use of transfer aids (such as mobile hoists, patient slides, hover mats, etc.), the space for the trolley or wheelchair the patient is being transferred to, and the staff required to assist/complete the patient transfer, is to be considered and confirmed at project level. Work Health and Safety (WHS) policies and patient transfer devices that are intended to be used in the patient bay should be confirmed by the project team.
~ The weight capacity of recliners selected must be considered to suit a wide range of patient requirements. The recliner must also have the ability to lay completely flat.
~ Mobile duress coverage is to be assessed and planned at a department level and coverage is to meet local security and WHS policies as well as operational service requirements.
~ It is recommended that a dedicated power outlet, clearly separate from the medical services panel (MSP), is provided to support patient and visitor use for charging portable devices. Inclusion of integral USB outlets will depend on local ICT policies.
~ In some spaces, such as patient bays, a level of speech privacy of “confidential” would be recommended to protect sensitive patient information. However, due to clinical services requirements for patient care and observation, these spaces cannot be fully enclosed and therefore cannot achieve this level of speech privacy. The speech privacy rating of “not private” has been noted in relation to the elements of the physical environment that can contribute to speech privacy, however, operational approaches to maintaining confidentiality during discussions with patients and support persons must be considered.
~ Size, type and quantity of waste bins provided within the patient bay, including sharps bins, will be dependent on clinical service requirements, operational models for waste management (including separation of waste streams and frequency of waste removal) and local infection prevention and control (IPC) policies. It may be determined that bins for specific waste streams are to be located in a shared area between multiple patient bays and possibly brought to the patient bay as required.
~ Provision and extent of emergency/standby power and/or uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is to be confirmed to suit clinical services requirements and site conditions. Confirmation of power requirements is to be based on risk assessment considering the impact of a power outage on patient care/safety and medical equipment specifications.
~ Provision of cleaner’s power outlets is to be rationalised across the department and spaced in accordance with AS/NZS 3003.
~ Access to natural light and an external outlook is desirable. However, patient privacy must also be considered when determining window placement. Where high-level windows are provided to the bedhead wall of patient bays consideration must be given to the location of wall mounted items such as patient monitors.
~ The type, materiality and cleaning requirements of window coverings to external windows is to be confirmed at project level to suit local infection prevention and control (IPC) policies and risk assessments. Refer to Part D Section 6.4 for more information.