The hospital emergency room, ER, is an element of the medical rescue system. Its purpose is to admit people with sudden health risks or after traumas. The reality, however, is different – ER patients often include people who should be cared for by e.g. night medical centres.

ER’s objective is initial diagnosis and treatment insofar as it is necessary to stabilise the vital functions of the patient. However, certain patients come to ER to bypass the lines to diagnostics and specialist examinations.

As noted by ER and emergency medical services employees and experts, 70-80 percent of ER patients should rather report to a primary health care physician or night medical assistance. Some are even unaware of the existence of night medical assistance.

What do the regulations say?

There are currently 214 operating ER units in Poland, but specialists believe that there should be one unit per 150 thousand residents, which means that approximately 260 are needed.

According to regulations, ER units can operate in hospitals, which have the following:

  1. a general surgery department with a trauma unit, and in the case of hospitals admitting children – a child surgery department;
  2. an internal disease department, and in the case of hospitals admitting children – a paediatric department;
  3. an anaesthesiology department and intensive care unit;
  4. a medical imaging lab.

The unit should be located on the level of the pedestrian entrance and the ambulance ramp. Both the entrance and ramp should be sheltered, and the ramp should be automatically opened and closed with visible signs.

The location of the unit should provide easy communication with other key wards, e.g. the anaesthesiology department, intensive care unit and the operating theatre.

An ER is composed of the following:

  1. a medical segregation, registration, and admission area, which serves for contact with the patients and the medical rescue teams bringing the patients in, preliminary diagnosis of the patients, urgent medical assistance, and transfer of the patients to other departments;
  2. a resuscitation and surgery area;
  3. an initial intensive care area;
  4. an immediate therapy area, composed of a surgery room and cast application room;
  5. an observation area;
  6. a consultation area;
  7. a waiting area for medical rescue teams (if the unit has such teams within its structures, because this is not mandatory);
  8. administration and utility facilities.

Problematic airfields

From the start of 2014, every ER should have a 24-hour airfield, and if this is not possible, a landing pad. It should be located in such proximity to allow the unit to admit the patients without medical transport.

If this requirement cannot be fulfilled because of technical issues, it is permitted for the airfield or landing pad to be within a 5-minute drive from the hospital (counting from the moment of the patient’s release by the air rescue team to the ambulance).

According to the health department, a helicopter lands on average 5-6 times per year at ER units outside of big cities, but e.g. at one of the biggest hospitals in Warsaw, at Wołoska street, there are instances of them waiting in line.

The operation of ERs is regulated by the act on medical rescue services and the Resolution of the Minister Of Health.

Did you like the article?