Emergency
News on emergency services
North Bristol failing four hour target due to 'lack of beds'
PERFORMANCE: A lack of medical beds has seen North Bristol Trust miss the four hour accident and emergency target every month since September 2011 and is compromising performance against the 18 week referral to treatment target.
Regulator issues Morecambe Bay urgent warning to increase A&E staffing
PERFORMANCE: The Care Quality Commission has issued a warning to University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay foundation trust that it must improve staffing levels at The Royal Lancaster Infirmary, after an inspection of its accident and emergency department.
Bristol just misses out on A&E standard in December
PERFORMANCE: University Hospitals Bristol Foundation Trust was marginally below the 95 per cent standard for patients treated within four hours in A&E in December.
South East’s first stand-alone children’s A&E opens
STRUCTURE: The first stand-alone children’s emergency department in the South East has opened at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton and Hove.
Government urged to slow NHS 111 rollout
GPs and nurses are urging the government to slow the implementation of the new non-emergency NHS telephone number amid fears it could actually increase pressure on services.
Poor outcomes continue for heart failure, audit reveals
Heart failure outcomes remain poor with variations in quality of care across the country and a lack of access to specialist management, according to a major national review.
DH warns over severe weather
The Department of Health has warned people to keep an eye on local weather reports as forecasters warn that scattered snow showers and freezing temperatures are on their way to the UK.
Fire service to discuss sharing ambulance stations
Fire authority leaders are to discuss a report suggesting that millions of pounds could be saved if fire stations were shared with the ambulance service.
Hospital rejects possibility of Army medic assistance
PERFORMANCE: A West Yorkshire hospital looking into the possibility of using Army medics to restore a 24-hour emergency service has now rejected the idea.
Nottinghamshire starts first phase of out of hours procurement
COMMERCIAL: Engagement with the public has begun on the current out of hours (OOH) services provided by Nottingham Emergency Medical Services (NEMS) in the City and South and Central Nottinghamshire Clinical Services (CNCS) in the north of the county.
Organ donation target 'will be missed'
The head of a kidney charity has launched an attack on the government over organ donation, saying it will miss a target to boost donor rates by 50 per cent.
Emergency demand soars in South Warwickshire
PERFORMANCE: Emergency demand has outstripped capacity at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.
A&E target pressure for Princess Alexandra
PERFORMANCE: Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust may miss the 95 per cent standard for dealing with A&E patients this year, a board meeting was warned.
Peterborough and Stamford fails to hit waiting time target
PERFORMANCE: A&E waiting times are causing concern at Peterborough and Stamford Hospital Foundation Trust.
Exclusive: hundreds waited hours for ambulances after software failure
PERFORMANCE: Hundreds of patients waited hours for ambulances in London when call handlers were forced to rely on pen and paper for 15 hours during a software failure, a report seen by HSJ has revealed.
Barnsley Hospital misses A&E wait target
PERFORMANCE: NHS North of England has highlighted that Barnsley Hospital Foundation Trust is not meeting the A&E waiting time target.
Mid Yorks misses A&E wait target
PERFORMANCE: NHS North of England has highlighted that Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust is not meeting the A&E waiting time target.
Jobs created as Scottish ambulance dispute resolved
The Scottish Government is to create 150 jobs in the Scottish Ambulance Service following the resolution of a long-running dispute over working hours.
Many Leicestershire urgent care centre attendences would be better managed by GPs
PERFORMANCE: Nearly half of attendances at the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland urgent care centre would be better managed within GP practices, a clinical audit has shown.
Regulator to investigate emergency care at Morecambe Bay FT
PERFORMANCE: The Care Quality Commission has announced it is using its investigation powers to look into the delivery of emergency care services by the foundation. The investigation is underway.
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'Significant overspend' in unplanned care at Chesterfield Royal
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Derbyshire County predicts higher spending on Sherwood Forest services
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Basildon unlikely to hit 98 per cent A&E target
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Welwyn hospital A&E services to be reduced from this month
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A&E admissions metric set to cost Barnet and Chase Farm £1m
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One in 10 people 'end 111 calls early'
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'Dramatic improvement' in A&E admission times at Leicester
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A&E performance "fragile" at Heatherwood FT
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Nottingham exceeds A&E assessment time target by 100 per cent
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20pc of Plymouth A&E patients should have been treated elsewhere
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Great Western looks to NHS 111 opportunity
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South Western Ambulance fails target in Somerset
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Met police drive demand for ambulances
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Activity falls at Yeovil
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Yeovil struggles to recruit doctors to A&E
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Analysis: patients in poorer regions using A&E over GP
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Surrey and Borders Partnership pilots A&E alcohol service
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Hampshire emergency care under strain after hospital fire and vomiting outbreak
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Kent and Medway Partnership launches new hospital liaison service
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Readmissions above target limit at Halton and St Helens
News by sector
The three key principles behind clinical decisions on resuscitation
“Do not attempt cardio-pulmonary resuscitation” orders can be a contentious area for clinical teams. Duncan Astill and Nick Morton unpick the principles behind them.
How doctor-patient phone calls can cut unnecessary emergency care attendances
When GPs phone back patients who want to book an appointment, many often accept they do not need to visit the surgery or to go to A&E after all. Harry Longman explains the benefits this level of doctor access offers.
Developing a new care pathway to enhance responses to alcohol cases
Alcohol-related emergency care demand needs to be understood and managed if the number of cases is to be reduced, say James Bell and colleagues.
Why improved design is key to reducing violence against NHS staff
A pilot scheme intended to reduce assaults on NHS employees by improving accident and emergency waiting areas is a vital first step in making sure staff feel safe and protected at work, says Noel Walsh.
Why a better understanding of emergency admissions needs better data
Emergency attendance and admission will only be reduced by greater understanding of the demand. It is vital, says Simon Rowe, to make sure you use the most appropriate data.
The critical factors for an efficient acute medical care unit
Three elements decide the efficiency of an acute medical care unit, and its success or failure. Paul Glynne and colleagues advise on what they are, and the difference the unit is making at University College London Hospitals Foundation Trust.
Can maternity care learn from how the retail sector operates?
Good managers will often look at other sectors to bring across good ideas and examples of good practice, but could maternity managers learn something from counterparts in the retail sector? Edwin van Teijlingen and Emma Pitchforth investigate.
Breathing space: how one trust's approach to respiratory pathways is improving outcomes
Royal Bolton Hospital introduced “patient gateways” to improve its respiratory pathway, with great success. Brian Bradley and colleagues explain how they did it.
