Public hospital emergency departments in every state are overwhelmed, with ambulance ramping the most visible manifestation, and performance is deteriorating with fewer people being seen in a timely manner.

Labor, in its first major health election campaign announcement, has signalled it recognises the problem, and is offering an innovative solution — at least 50 new urgent care centres.

About one-third of presentations to emergency departments may have been able to be managed in another setting, such as GP clinics.

There are several definitions used to identify these patients retrospectively in datasets – for example: “not too urgent”, “not arrive by ambulance”, “not admitted” — but the important issue is identifying these patients prospectively and encouraging them not to go to the emergency department, but rather to seek care elsewhere.