Kingston Hospital’s Emergency Department team have introduced a new model for the Rapid Assessment and Focused Treatment (RAFTing) of high acuity patients and those arriving by ambulance. This new way of working sees every patient arriving by ambulance met by a multidisciplinary team within 15 minutes.
In the new model, the consultant or registrar, nurse, and healthcare assistant book diagnostic tests, perform observations, and prescribe medication before handing over to the emergency medicine team to continue treatment.
They have four dedicated RAFTing spaces as well as the required equipment and consumables to enable quick decision-making and treatment.
Since implementing this change, there has been a reduction in the overall time taken for patients to be referred to a specialty by around 50 minutes per patient, as well as improvements in 4-hour performance and time to senior decision maker.
