Designing emergency and urgent care services around users
Urgent and emergency care (UEC) services perform a critical role in keeping the population healthy. The NHS responds to more than 110 million urgent calls or visits every year, so it is essential that the system works effectively1.
With advances in digital technology and healthcare innovation, NHS England is giving users with recent experience of emergency and urgent care services the chance to shape how they are delivered in the future.
People across England are invited to share their views in an online survey, which will run from 30 August until 30 September. We are particularly keen to hear from lesser heard communities to ensure that the sample is as diverse and inclusive as possible. The survey is anonymous and there is an opportunity to be included in a free prize draw to win a £50 shopping voucher.
Take the survey now: https://www.pephealth.ai/patient-experience-survey-2022
Why are we asking for your views?
There are continued pressures on NHS urgent and emergency care services arising from increasing calls to NHS 111, A&E attendances2, constraints on capacity due to COVID-19, ambulance handover delays and high hospital bed occupancy. These factors combined lead to crowding of emergency departments3, meaning patients spend more time in A&E before admission, transfer or discharge. With the formation of integrated care systems, local health and care services are encouraged to take a system-wide approach to tackling the problem. To do this effectively, we need to ensure that we understand the experiences of a broad cross-section of patients, whether positive or negative to provide valuable insights into what is driving decision making in accessing urgent and emergency care. That’s where you come in.
