Emergency departments (EDs) in the UK are facing unprecedented increases in attendance, and the ability to safely assess, diagnose, treat, refer or discharge patients is a national challenge. This article discusses one component of a comprehensive ED strategy created to address serious concerns identified by regulators and develop and improve services in the department at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Kent.
Emergency departments (EDs) in the UK are facing unprecedented increases in attendance, and the ability to safely assess, diagnose, treat, refer or discharge patients is a national challenge. This article discusses one component of a comprehensive ED strategy created to address serious concerns identified by regulators and develop and improve services in the department at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Kent.
<p>Patients present to emergency departments (EDs) with many different physical and psychological illnesses, and there can be several social complexities associated with these presentations. According to the ethos of modern healthcare management, patients are whole but multidimensional beings who should be placed by healthcare professionals at the centre of multidisciplin ary team activities (Department of Health 2004a).</p>