In response to patient feedback and in line with national best practice, the team at Kingston Hospital have been trialling a new model of triage at the entrance to the Emergency Department.
Every patient is now met by a senior nurse who ensures they are streamed to the correct part of the department, based on clinical need and acuity, helping to avoid long waits at reception or unnecessary triage processes. They are also able to redirect some patients to more suitable services such as the Royal Eye Unit or Early Pregnancy Unit.
This is helping the Trust to achieve the 15-minute triage target and ensures the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC), Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), and specialist services are utilised effectively. From mid-June onwards we have started to see an increase in the percentage of patients triaged within 15 minutes, as well as reduction in the time taken to see a senior decision maker.
