A cutting-edge pilot which provides high quality, same-day emergency care has been launched in York Hospitals Emergency Department (ED).

The ambulatory care pilot is a patient focused service where some conditions may be treated without the need for an overnight stay in hospital. Patients are managed safely and appropriately on the same day before being sent home with on-going clinical follow up as required.

The pilot is a joint initiative between NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Andrew Phillips, Deputy Chief Clinical Officer and lead for urgent care at NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “We are aiming to care for patients with certain conditions safely and in the right setting for them. The ambulatory care pilot is one way in which we can ensure that emergency patients receive timely assessment and treatment and can then be returned back to their homes on the same day without the need to be admitted to hospital.

“Patients are referred to the ambulatory care service via the hospital’s Emergency Department Team or by their GP. There they can receive the same medical treatment that would previously have been received as an inpatient with access to a range of staff and services which includes medical, nursing and diagnostics.

“The aim of this service is to provide patients with the care required to treat a wide range of conditions without the need to admit a patient to a bed. Patients will be able to return home and if further treatment is required on another day, this will be arranged for them at the most appropriate time and place.”

Dr Steve Crane, consultant in emergency medicine at York Hospital, said: “Attending hospital unexpectedly can be an unsettling and worrying experience for patients. The pilot service we are running aims to see patients quickly and get them a clear diagnosis and treatment plan. Patient feedback from the pilot service so far has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Dr Hasanain Al-Shakerchi, consultant in acute medicine at York Hospital, said: “The service is playing an important role in the hospital to help take some of the pressure off the emergency department, and reduce the number of patients that are admitted to a bed. This means that the hospital is providing a better service for everyone that needs it.”

The service is trialling five ambulatory pathways - possible Pulmonary Embolism, possible Deep Vein Thrombosis, low risk chest pain, deliberate self-harm and cellulitis.

The service, which will be available seven days a week from 9am to 9pm, is located in the front of the ED at York Hospital, allowing the service to integrate and work closely with the ED team.

The Ambulatory Care pilot lasts for six weeks and will run until 31 March 2015. At the end of this work we will review progress with our partners which will help to shape decision about future services.

< Back to all news stories