Elevate Urgent Emergency Care
Researching how urgent and emergency care is being delivered in rural and coastal communities
England’s Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) system is under pressure. Patients are experiencing long waiting times to access services, including Emergency Departments (EDs) and ambulances.
Demand for UEC services in rural coastal areas is often worse. These areas have older and poorer populations with complex health needs. Services in rural coastal locations find it difficult to recruit and keep NHS staff. In the summer, tourism increases the number of people using local health and care services in rural coastal towns.
Finding new ways of providing UEC care in rural coastal areas is a priority for the NHS and UK government. Generally, the way health and care services have been designed has been based on guidance that has been developed for the whole country. However, we need to ensure that UEC services are developed with the needs of local patients and local problems in mind.
Our Research
We plan to research the different ways that UEC care is being delivered in rural coastal communities in England. We will find out how different types of UEC care affect patients and NHS staff and how best to use limited NHS resources.
National Service Map
We are mapping innovative UEC Services in rural and coastal England.
Statistical Analysis
We are analysing the impact of innovative models of care using HES ECDS data.
Qualitative Analysis
We will observe how healthcare staff at up to 12 emergency departments and associated UEC systems work. We will talk to patients and staff to gain a detailed understanding of different ways of providing care.
