Increasing demand for urgent care services at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust meant many patients faced long waits in overcrowded waiting rooms. Overwhelmed staff were at risk of burnout. Meanwhile, efforts to direct patients to the right services were being obstructed by an inefficient and manual referral process.
The trust decided to implement a new booking model that allows patients who do not need immediate care to schedule appointments later in the day. With Strata’s PathWays system combined with NHS Streamer, patients can be assessed and have their appointment booked within five minutes or less of arriving at the emergency department, urgent treatment centre or minor injuries unit. The model enables patients to return home to wait, instead of spending hours in hospital.
The NHS Streaming and Redirection digital triage product identifies high risk patients who may need to be admitted, as well as those who should be referred to a suitable alternative service. Strata Pathways makes the required eReferrals and bookings in seconds once the correct pathway is determined.
The improved process has enhanced the management of clinicians’ time, ironing out spikes in demand and providing 30-minute appointment slots for each patient with an appropriate clinician.
More than half of patients (53%) now spend less time in the emergency department and there has been a 48% reduction in the number of patients in the waiting room.
Patients have described the new booking model as “excellent”, while for clinicians it has delivered “a much more pleasant” working environment. “It’s improved the service tremendously,” said one staff member.
