Karla Bergquist: Specialist Mental Health and Addiction Director on the reduction of Police patient handover times to 30 minutes
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Why was the original 15‑minute police handover target deemed unrealistic?
So police are slowing their withdrawal from mental health jobs. Final phase we'll see patient handover times at EDs cut from sixty to thirty. Original plan was fifteen, ain't gonna happen. Carla Burquist is the Health New Zealand director of specialist mental health and addiction and is with us. Good morning. Morning, Mike.
What progress has been made in reducing handover times to 30 minutes?
As a process broadly speaking, so far as regards mental health, has the ex assigned been successful?
I think we've uh made some really important gains uh in the programme for change. Uh police are spending a lot less time waiting uh in emergency departments and uh we've got good processes and relationships at a local level between mental health and police.
Are we all in agreement that thirty could be about right and fifteen's a bit of a push at this stage?
Yes, I think that uh our teams have told us very clearly fifteen is is too far. Uh thirty minutes we're achieving in quite a lot of places.
Which situations might still prevent meeting the 30‑minute target?
uh as well. But I think that uh there will be places where it's never really going to be realistic even to meet that thirty minute target. But there's flexibility uh built in for that.
Is fifteen ever achievable anywhere in the future or do we give up at thirty?
I think that it would be a b a big stretch. What we did do is listen to our ambulance colleagues and what they managed to achieve.
How do health staff balance strict timelines with individual patient needs?
um, you know, in an emergency situation. Um so fifteen minutes I think for health services is a stretch.
How much of this is academic on paperwork, you know, twenty nine thirty, thirty one versus versus just in the real world it's you deal with each individual situation as an individual situation.
That absolutely should be the way things are done based on the needs of the patient uh and what they require at the time. And usually that's how things play out. Yeah, so so this
goodwill is what I'm asking.
What role do police‑health partnerships and legislation play in the handover process?
This is not some sort of paperwork exercise where I go, Well, I'm sorry, at sixteen minutes I've got to go. That doesn't happen.
It shouldn't happen. Um and uh but you know, it's a it's a it's a partnership between the police and the health staff. and uh there's some negotiation around that, but there is also legislative requirements uh that police need to need to meet and um you know for the most part that's how it works in practice.
Good and Carl, appreciate your time. Carla Burkwist out of Health New Zealand. For more from the Mike Asking Breakfast, listen live to News Talks Ed B from six AM weekdays or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
Why was the original 15‑minute police handover target deemed unrealistic?
0:00–0:15
2
What progress has been made in reducing handover times to 30 minutes?
0:15–0:56
3
Which situations might still prevent meeting the 30‑minute target?
0:56–1:23
4
How do health staff balance strict timelines with individual patient needs?
1:23–1:53
5
What role do police‑health partnerships and legislation play in the handover process?
1:53–2:30
Speakers
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