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Emergency medicine

Report of national survey of emergency medicine

January 2007

In Autumn 2006 the BMA Emergency Medicine Subcommittee together with the British Association for Emergency Medicine commissioned this survey to gather information about the impact of the national incentive scheme to reduce waiting times in emergency medicine departments. This followed a similar survey of emergeny medicine departments in 2005. A 33 per cent response rate was received between 11 September and 20 November 2006 with representation from medical practitioners in all grades who worked in emergency medicine.

Respondents were asked questions about a number of current themes in emergency care. The findings are reported under the following headings:

• Background of respondents
• Targets
• Support to meet targets
• Outcomes from targets
• Pressure to meet targets
• Support for respondent’s department
• The future of emergency medicine targets

It was evident from the results of the survey that all emergency medicine departments performed well in their efforts to meet the emergency medicine targets set out in the national standards. Patients received a high class service in terms of the time they were spending in emergency departments, despite 95 per cent of respondents reporting that workload had increased in the past twelve months.

The long-term increase in patient demand for emergency departments was recognised in the report. Of the 22 per cent of departments who reported they did not meet the emergency access target, inappropriate self-referral by patients and lack of available in-patient beds were reported as factors which contributed to departments not reaching targets. There was also a perception amongst emergency medicine doctors that many primary care organisations had not provided adequate out-of-hours cover for their local communities.

Of those who reported that their department had met the 4 hour emergency access target there were still areas of concern. For example, 46 per cent of respondents reported their department received additional funding to meet the emergency access target, 49 per cent reported that agency staff on short term contracts were used to meet the emergency access target and 31 per cent reported that data manipulation was used as an additional measure to meet the emergency access target.

The report also highlighted the views of emergency medicine doctors on how emergency care for all patients could be further improved and a world-class standard of emergency medicine delivered by 2015. Better education of the public in when and how to access emergency care and additional resources such as ‘staffing’, ‘investment’ and the ‘continued hard work’ of staff were all suggested.

It is likely that the present policy of hospital reconfiguration will ensure that emergency medicine departments will remain in the public eye. This report provides data to contribute to the debate on reconfiguration of emergency medicine departments.

Download the full report in PDF format using the link on the right of the screen.

Read the key findings of the survey here, including a breakdown of figures specifically relating to England.

A press release was issued on 17 January when the survey was launched - read it here.

For further information please contact the Health Policy and Economic Research Department on 0207 383 6604 or email info.heperu@bma.org.uk

Go to the consultants area of the BMA website here.

Go to the British Association for Emergency Medicine website here.