Free, patient-facing app which shows patients the fastest place to access urgent care services for minor emergencies.
Free, patient-facing app which shows patients the fastest place to access urgent care services for minor emergencies.
Summary:
Commissioned by CCGs and co-designed by patients and GPs, WaitLess was launched in east Kent in December 2016. The app allows people with minor injuries to select the location which will get them access to treatment fastest. It combines live feeds from A&E departments and all types of Urgent Treatment Centres, showing the number of people waiting and waiting time. The app then combines this with the travel time to the location, and expresses this as a single figure.
Challenge/problem identified:
Pressure has been growing across A&E services each year since 2005. Most A&E attendances are from self-presenting patients, attending A&E with conditions that are associated with minor injuries, ailments and minor emergencies, which can be seen in other departments like the Minor Injuries Unit or the Urgent Care Centre. Local and national studies recognise that many of these patients could be treated more quickly closer to home by accessing commissioned services provided outside of hospital.
Impact:
Fellow: Tony Corkett
self-care and education
primary care and urgent care
safety, quality and efficiency within hospitals
self-care and education
earlier intervention and diagnostics
primary care and urgent care
self-care and education