Why you had visited the Emergency Department (ED), if you were aware of any alternatives to the Emergency Department, and questions relating to your experience whilst receiving care at an ED
We distributed over 3000 surveys to A&E departments within 5 hospitals across the Humber Coast and Vale region. In addition people were encouraged to complete the survey online from 22nd July 2020 to 25th August 2020.
Over 2000 people responded to the survey either by completing a hard copy within an A&E or online.
Majority of respondents 1490 (74%) had either seen or been given information about when it is appropriate to visit an Emergency Department
Alongside this there were 513 (26%) respondents who said they had never seen information relating to when it's appropriate to visit an ED.
You were either advised by NHS 111 or made the decision yourself that it was appropriate for you to attend the Emergency Department
Majority of respondents advised that the NHS 111 service had advised them to attend A&E. This is a positive response to the 'Think 111 First' campaign. A large number of respondents advised they had decided they needed to visit an ED themselves.
Your GP and NHS 111 is the first port of call
When asked about awareness of alternative treatment options, most respondents advised they had used their GP or the NHS 111 service. Alternative options also included Urgent Treatment Centres, the out of hours GP and the pharmacy.
You were advised by a health care professional to attend the Emergency Department
Feedback given to 'Why did you choose A&E?' mirrors the respondents awareness to alternative options, with it being likely that NHS 111 and GPs advised A&E attendance for many respondents.
Other themes as to why people attended A&E related to accessibility; factors such as not being able to get a GP appointment and not having a local Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) nearby resulted in some A&E attendances.
Some respondents also presented an unawareness of alternatives, with some advising they don't have a GP, A&E was a convenient option due to living nearby, and some thinking the ED is for any health problem.
Quick waiting times to be seen
Most respondents were seen within 4 hours, this is the target for patients that attend A&E to be either treated, admitted or discharged within this time. Within this, majority advised they were either seen within 30 minutes by a healthcare professional or did not have to wait. A small number of respondents advised they were waiting more than 4 hours to be seen, this is outside of the standard target time. We consider that waiting times reflect the number of people within A&E; waiting times will hopefully improve as awareness around EDs and alternative options increases with patients and the public.
As a result of all your feedback, next your local NHS will:
Sick of waiting around? Fill in our survey!
We want to gain a better understanding of what motivates people to go to A&E, and how aware people are of alternative urgent care services such as NHS 111, Urgent Treatment Centre's (UTCs) and Minor Injury Units (MIUs).
We know that finding the right place to go when you become ill or injured can be confusing. Please help us to help you get the treatment you need by letting us know about your experience of accessing your local A&E.