Proposal for A&E improvements
The majority of hospital care will remain local and each hospital will continue to have a 24 hour A&E department that receives ambulances.
Background
Current A&E services are frequently overcrowded and people sometimes have to wait too long to be seen. By improving the flow of patients through A&E, we can better manage the pressure on the whole hospital and improve your care. To do this we are proposing the development of an “Emergency Hub” that would operate in the same way across each of the three hospitals.
The proposed changes
A quick assessment of your emergency situation
A senior doctor or nurse would assess your needs quickly. They may book an appointment for you with other services, such as a GP working in A&E or your own GP, a pharmacist, a mental health practitioner or social care professional. They may arrange for further assessment through a dedicated assessment unit.
Specially designed units for further assessment
Alongside A&E, four assessment units will have specially trained teams to meet the particular care needs of:
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- Older and frail people
- Children
- Patients in need of urgent medical treatment
- Patients in need of urgent surgical treatment
The aim of these units will be to assess and treat your condition, getting you back home as soon as possible. Strong links to community services, mental health and social care will support this aim. Each unit will have beds for those who may need a short stay in hospital.
Transfers to specialist teams
In a small number of cases, if you have a serious condition, you would be stabilised and transferred to a specialist team, which could be in another hospital. The hospital team treating you will take this decision with you and your family, and make arrangements for a safe transfer. We estimate that up to 15 patients per day across all three hospitals may be transferred to a different hospital for their care. There would also be a new free transport service to help family and friends to travel to a different site.
We would like to know your views on proposals to improve your local A&E – the development of an “emergency hub” at each hospital with a wider range of urgent care services.