Challenges facing our urgent and emergency healthcare services

Our urgent and emergency care services are dealing with many challenges, nationally and locally.

These include:

• Rising demand at emergency departments (EDs): More and more people are using EDs. This is making them very busy, with long waiting times, especially for patients who have less serious conditions or injuries.
  
• Uncertainty about where to go for urgent care: Often, patients going to EDs with minor conditions or injuries could be seen more quickly by other services, but people may not be aware of the options, or how NHS 111 can help.
  
• Staffing shortages: EDs are feeling the pressure with fewer staff available. This is due to various factors, including retirements, not enough new trainees, and the high stress of the work.
  
• An ageing population: Many people who visit EDs are over 65 years old, and as this age group expands, the demand on EDs rises. Health services can help by providing more support and preventative care earlier on.
  
• We are investing in services, and must ensure we provide value for money. We must make the best use of the available budget to meet our local patients’ needs.

Our urgent and emergency care strategy aims to tackle these challenges in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

How these challenges affect us all

Challenges

Impacts

Rising demands

Confusion about urgent
care services available

Staff shortages

Patients and families at emergency departments (EDs)

• Long waits
• Waiting in ambulances
• Corridor care
• Potentially poorer outcomes

Patients who need urgent care

• Patients don’t know where to go for urgent care
• Patients access the wrong service and have to travel further and/or wait longer.

Older population growing

Meeting rising demand
within available budget

Staff

• Under pressure without the right number of colleagues to support
• Feeling like they can’t always give patients the best care
• Staff leave, putting more pressure on those still working.

Services

Efficiency is impacted:

• Ambulances waiting outside EDs can’t go to new calls
• Beds not available for new patients
• Services and staff are overstretched.
• Not always making best use of our budget.

Rising demands

Confusion about urgent care services available

Patients and families at emergency departments (EDs)

• Long waits
• Waiting in ambulances
• Corridor care
• Potentially poorer outcomes

Staff shortages in emergency medicine

Patients who need urgent care

• Patients don’t know where to go for urgent care
• Patients access the wrong service and have to travel further and/or wait longer.

Staff shortages in social care

Older population growing

Meeting rising demand within available budget

Staff

• Under pressure without the right number of colleagues to support
• Feeling like they can’t always give patients the best care
• Staff leave, putting more pressure on those still working.

Services

Efficiency is impacted:

• Ambulances waiting outside EDs can’t go to new calls
• Beds not available for new patients
• Services and staff are overstretched.
• Not always making best use of our budget.