6 Essential Actions to Improving Unscheduled Care

Case Study Template - to be submitted first Monday of each month

Date June 2017Site Aberdeen Royal InfirmaryContact Details Christina Cameron, NHSG Programme Manager, Modernisation

Directorate, Summerfield House Tel: 01224 558427Title GP assessment & redirection in the Emergency department6EA 6EA 6 Ensuring Patients are Cared for in their own homes

Please describe the project in 250 WordsAimTo refine the delivery of “in hours” redirection from the Emergency Department to Primary Care.Anticipated Benefit [Description of anticipated benefit]

A reduction in patients redirected to “In hours” General Practice. An increase in patients redirected to other primary care based services. Reduced unscheduled care demand on General Practice.

Implementation & Approach [Improvement & Engagement approaches used]The Emergency department has a number of General Practitioners with a Special Interest in Emergency Medicine present within the Emergency Department during the In Hours period. Self presenting patients with minor illness are asked by reception if they “require to be seen as an emergency in the Emergency department of urgently by Primary Care.Patients who identify that they need to be seen as an emergency in the Emergency Dept are referred for assessment by the Triage Nurse Practitioner.Patients’ who identify that they need to be seen urgently by Primary Care are asked to complete a self assessment form stating their symptoms, how long they have been experiencing their symptoms and who have they sort care from before presenting at the Emergency Dept.Patients who identify they require to be seen urgency by Primary Care are assessed by the General Practitioner present in the Emergency Dept.

The outcome of this brief assessment can be: Advice on Self Care See and Treat – e.g Earache, Sore Throats Redirected to own General Practitioner for a full consultation.

The attached patient information ls given to the patientOutcome [Outcomes and evidence of impact of improvement on 6EAs, overall 4 hour performance or specific flow group(s)]

6 Essential Actions to Improving Unscheduled Care

This is the second cycle in this Test of Change to refine the delivery of “in hours” redirection from the Emergency Department to Primary Care.

Whilst evaluation is ongoing, initial findings indicate an increase in the number of patients redirected from the Emergency department to alternative community based services, other than General Practice, following assessment by General Practitioners present “In hours” in the Emergency department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Return to UnscheduledCareTeam@gov.scot