Abstract
The concept of freestanding EDs is a popular operational model of emergency care in the USA. This model has been described as an emergency physician-created innovative solution in resolving ongoing overcrowding issues in EDs. A decentralised community-based emergency care model may be a solution to meet the increasing demand for emergency and unscheduled acute care in Australia. It may also help to reduce the number of acute hospital admissions through EDs. The aim of freestanding EDs should be to manage and discharge a cohort of patients, mainly in Australasian Triage Scale 3 and 4 categories, currently seen in hospital-based EDs. This article briefly examines the potential merits and issues if this concept is considered in Australia. It also provides an early proposed model for such EDs.
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