Queen Alexandra Hospital A&E booking service passes 500 patient milestone

A month after the Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) and South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) initiative launched, 526 patients have attended the emergency department (ED) at Queen Alexandra Hospital through the enhanced 111 service which offers a booked time slot to those whose condition is not assessed as being a medical emergency.

Dr John Knighton, medical director at PHU, said: ‘Ensuring that our patients continue to receive safe, timely care in the setting that is most appropriate for their needs, is our absolute priority. I am delighted that, working with our partners, we have been able to support 500 patients.’

Queen Alexandra was the first hospital to pilot the scheme along with a number of London hospitals which will be introducing a similar system.

Luci Stephens, director of operations, clinical co-ordination centres at South Central Ambulance Service, said: ‘The co-operation and partnership to get this enhancement up and running in a short space of time has been outstanding .

‘Our advisors and clinical teams have been able to direct patients to the quickest and most appropriate treatment for their needs, and the feedback we have had from patients has been overwhelmingly positive.

‘This initiative is vital for keeping patients safe by restricting the time spent waiting in the ED department and for managing the capacity of NHS services by ensuring patients are getting the most appropriate care for their clinical needs.’

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Dr David Chilvers, clinical chair for Fareham and Gosport for the Hampshire Partnership of CCGs, added: ‘Local GPs are also playing a vital role in the delivery of this new approach, through our clinical assessment service.

‘The GP will have access to the patients’ notes and can talk to them to identify the best option for them – in some instances that may be a timed appointment at the ED but in many more cases they are finding that patients can be safely referred back to their GP for follow up support, given a prescription or directed to other sources of help, sparing them an unnecessary trip to the ED.’

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