4th Annual Urgent Care Conference: Delivering Integrated Solutions

4th Annual Urgent Care Conference: Delivering Integrated Solutions will address how we can avoid crises like that of the winter of 2017-2018.

Supported by NHS England, NHS Digital and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, this event will examine in detail the many facets of urgent & emergency care and what can be done to improve the situation and provide practical solutions.

Delegates will hear from leading professionals who will examine how efficiencies within primary, ambulatory, social and community care have been successfully implemented. The event will showcase practical examples of service development and integration and the role of digital technology.

The urgent care system is at breaking point. NHS figures from the winter of 2017-2018 were the worst on record with January 2018 marking the 30th month in a row that the four-hour target has been missed. This was even after the large-scale cancellations of non-urgent treatment that occurred in order to prioritise urgent and emergency care. Over 80,000 patients waited on trolleys for more than four hours at A&E in January, 1,000 of which were waiting for over 12 hours – the highest numbers since records began.

So how can our healthcare services ensure next winter care improves? Winter 2018/19 is coming and with it the well-recognised conditions that create sudden surges in demand or reduce the NHS’s ability to meet this demand. Bed-blocking remains a major problem for many hospitals and this is especially true in winter. There was only one day last winter where bed occupancy was under 85% – Christmas Eve.

Of the four home nations, Scotland is leading the way in meeting the four-hour standard. This is followed by England, Wales and Northern Ireland respectively. Comparing different systems is a useful tool to understand the best approaches. There is not one simple solution to the urgent care crisis but it is clear a more whole-system approach is needed. Gathering the necessary data and looking at evidence to find best practices will help improve urgent care. Different services are too often inadequately joined-up such as sufficient social care not always being in place for patients upon being discharged from hospital, thereby leading to delays. Different stages of care such as primary, ambulatory, social and community and others must be more integrated.

To find out more and to book your place click here.