Update on Urgent and Emergency Care Review

NHS England has published an update on the Urgent and Emergency Care Review, which builds on its future vision for urgent and emergency care that was presented in Transforming urgent and emergency care services in England: Urgent and Emergency Care Review End of Phase 1 Report.

The report on the first phase of the review highlighted that the current system for delivering urgent and emergency care is under pressure. It set out a vision for change which proposed that for those people with urgent but non-life threatening needs, highly responsive, effective and personalised services must be provided. It also proposed that for people with more serious or life-threatening emergency needs, it should be ensured that they are treated in centres with the very best expertise and facilities, in order to maximise their chances of survival and a good recovery.

The update from NHS England outlines the progress that has been made on the review so far in delivering this new vision for urgent and emergency care. It reports on progress with NHS England’s work with local commissioners as they develop their five-year strategic and two-year operational plans, as well as providing updates on planning to develop demonstrator sites to trial new models for urgent and emergency care, including the new NHS 111 service specification.

Taken from Journal of Paramedic Practice, published 10 September 2014.