The number of emergency department surges at National Taiwan University Hospital may exceed 100 days! Adding category 2 hospital beds to speed up admissions

A few days ago, a patient died while waiting in the emergency room of National Taiwan University Hospital. The emergency volume of National Taiwan University Hospital dropped significantly for a time. However, Chen Jinxing, deputy director of National Taiwan University Hospital, said helplessly that the number of emergency department visits has returned recently, and the number of emergency room overflow days this year may exceed 100 days, far more than in previous years. National Taiwan University Hospital plans to add 20 emergency observation beds and an integrated medical and surgical inpatient ward, hoping to speed up the admission of patients.

In order to solve the emergency congestion problem in large hospitals, the National Health Insurance Department plans to propose the "Medical Center Emergency Temporary Special Benefit Pilot Plan", which will pilot special emergency temporary benefits at National Taiwan University Hospital and Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. It will also add or increase benefits for cases transferred to the intensive care unit within 36 hours of the emergency and for transfer to medical institutions. Relevant fees need to be discussed by the National Health Insurance Council and are expected to be implemented before the end of the year.

Regarding the hospital's current preparations, Chen Jinxing, deputy director of National Taiwan University Hospital, said that National Taiwan University Hospital plans to add 20 emergency observation beds on the first floor. The hospital is currently taking stock of the space. It is expected that it will take at least three months and may not start services until after the Lunar New Year. It is planned to add a 33-bed medical and surgical integrated inpatient ward on the sixth floor. However, considering manpower constraints, 11 beds will be trialled in the first phase, and services are expected to officially start on December 1.

However, Chen Jinxing also mentioned that recently, the number of emergency department visits at National Taiwan University Hospital has exceeded 300 many times in a single day. During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, it even reached a record high of 430 patients in a single day. Moreover, the frequency of emergency department overflows at National Taiwan University Hospital this year has been higher than in previous years. Last year, the number of days when more than 300 patients were admitted in a single day was only 88 days. This year, it is expected to exceed 100 days.

Chen Jinxing said that the number of emergencies in major hospitals across Taiwan has increased, which may be related to the shortage of nurse manpower, the insufficient number of beds in hospital wards, and this year's epidemics such as influenza and COVID-19. National Taiwan University Hospital has been working very hard to treat patients recently, with an average of 60 beds admitted a day. Meetings are held every Wednesday and Friday to evaluate the patient care situation.

“Those who don’t work so hard to collect beds may have to invite them to the hospital director’s office for a little coffee and a chat.” Chen Jinxing emphasized that the hospital does not want patients to be stuck in the emergency room. In response to the aging population and the increase in cases with multiple comorbidities, the integrated medical and surgical inpatient wards can provide integrated care in the future to speed up the admission of patients. However, he also reminds the public not to come to the emergency room for minor symptoms.