Value of clinical engagement in the NSW Health response to COVID-19.

Clinical engagement has been critical to the NSW Health response to COVID-19, with clinicians across the state working together at a scale and pace not seen before. Since mid-March 2020, 30 COVID-19 Communities of Practice (COPs) have been established, bringing together over 3500 clinicians and other members across 30 different clinical specialties to inform and support a consistent statewide response to the pandemic. COPs share issues, escalate priorities and develop evidence-based guidance on a range of topics. This article provides practical insights into the value of clinical leadership and engagement in a time of crisis. It describes the role of COVID-19 COPs, what they have achieved and their importance in supporting the ongoing pandemic response in New South Wales.

Projected acute inpatient activity in New South Wales - aIM2005.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the statewide projections of acute inpatient activity in New South Wales. METHODS: Data on acute inpatient activity in NSW for the period 1998-1999 to 2003-04 were derived from the Admitted Patient Data Collection. Regression analysis was used to project trends in utilisation and length of stay by age group, clinical specialty groups and stay type (day-only and overnight). The projected separation rates and length of stay were subject to clinical review. Projected separation rates (by age group, clinical speciality and stay type) were applied to NSW population projections to derive the projected number of separations. Bed-days were calculated by applying projected overnight average length of stay. RESULTS: Total acute inpatient activity in NSW public hospitals is projected to increase from around 1.05 million separations in 2004 to around 1.3 million separations by 2017 (24%). Same-day separations are projected to increase from around 368 000 to around 514 000 (40%). Overnight separations are projected to rise from around 690 000 in 2003-04 to around 798 000 in 2016-17 (18%). Overnight bed-days are projected to increase from around 3.7 million in 2003-04 to around 4.1 million bed-days in 2017 (12%). Differences across age groups and clinical specialties are also evident from the modelling.