Health chiefs say it’s “crucial” they discover why there was a 5.6% rise in people turning up at Accident and Emergency departments in the Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire last year.
Photo courtesy of the RUH
The Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (BSW ICB) has launched a major survey, revealing the rise was mainly due to the number of ‘walk-in’ patients.
The three A&E departments are the Royal United Hospital in Bath, Great Western Hospital in Swindon and Salisbury Hospital.
The ICB says: “In order to bring waiting times down, we need to understand why more people are going to A&Es instead of using other NHS services, such as GP surgeries, Minor Injury Units or the NHS 111 service.
“With BSW’s population growing all the time, it’s crucial to know the reasons behind this trend.”
“Over the next three months, BSW ICB is working with Healthwatch and hospitals in Bath, Swindon and Salisbury to find out more through the Big A&E Survey.
“We’ll conduct face-to-face questionnaires at all three A&Es in BSW. Additionally, a digital survey will be launched via social media.
“The survey will explore why patients choose to attend and their awareness of other treatment options. It will also look for any health inequalities and service gaps.
“The findings will be analysed and shared with system partners to understand what’s behind the rising demand and to make recommendations for plans to reduce this demand and improve communication with specific population groups needing support.”
If you or a family member attended one of the three A&E departments recently, you are invited to take part in the Big A&E Survey at https://forms.office.com/e/fiHgCx5P5Y.
