Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals to introduce self-service system in emergency departments

The new self-service tool will help reception staff triage patients as they arrive into the emergency department and will allow some to check their symptoms themselves using a digital station, before offering advice on what to do next.

Patients are advised to present directly reception if they are having severe difficulty breathing, heavy bleeding, sudden rapid swelling of the eyes, mouth or throat or they feel like they are about to collapse.

All other patients will be asked to use the self-service system to input their symptoms.

Based on the information they provide, they might be asked to wait in the emergency department or be directed to the most appropriate service such as an urgent treatment centre or a community service.

The new system id designed to help to reduce the number of visits where a patient’s symptoms could be treated elsewhere without a wait in the emergency department and ensure patients are treated in the right place at the right time.

The information they provide will also be available to clinicians within the department so they’ll only need to report symptoms once.

Andrea Squires, Divisional Director of Operations for Urgent and Emergency Care at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, said: “This new technological solution will help us to reduce the number of people we have waiting in our Emergency Department at any one time.

"This means the most appropriate care will be provided in the most appropriate place for everyone who attends and helps us to safeguard our emergency services for those who need the most urgent medical attention. Those attending the emergency department will also have a better, more efficient experience as they will be able to input their details and their symptoms as soon as they arrive and these will be available to all the clinicians.”

Ways to reduce the pressure on local emergency departments by choosing the right health service:

Self care – A lot of illnesses or symptoms can be treated in the home by using a well-stocked medicine cabinet and by getting plenty of rest.

NHS 111 – This 24 hour, 7 day service offers confidential health advice and information over the phone. To access the NHS 111 service text-phone, call 18001 111.

Pharmacist (chemist) – the local pharmacist is a highly trained healthcare professional who can give they advice on common illnesses and the medicines needed to treat them.

GP – A GP is the best person to speak to about persistent health problems and illnesses that won’t go away. These include persistent coughs, joint pain and long term symptoms that haven’t suddenly deteriorated to a point where they are extremely unwell.

Minor Injuries Unit at Mexborough Montagu Hospital – The unit is open every day from 9.00am to 9.00pm, except on Christmas Day when it is closed. The unit is staffed by experienced emergency nurse practitioners who can assess and treat a wide range of minor injuries and ailments, including sprains, cuts and bruises, and some simple fractures.