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Why do non-urgent patients present to the paediatric emergency department?
Jennifer Veitch1, Jamie Bentley2
1Edinburgh Medical School, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK J.M.Veitch19@outlook.com.
Insights
Many parents are unaware of the National Health Service (NHS) unscheduled care policy, leading to non-urgent visits to the paediatric emergency department (PED). Inappropriate referrals are a key reason for these visits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Healthcare Policy Analysis
- Public Health
Background:
- Non-urgent presentations to paediatric emergency departments (PEDs) are a significant concern within the National Health Service (NHS).
- Understanding parental awareness of healthcare policies is crucial for efficient resource allocation in pediatric care.
Abstract:
Non-urgent presentation to the paediatric emergency department (PED) is an underexplored area within the context of the National Health Service (NHS). Therefore, a pilot study was undertaken in the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People Edinburgh to evaluate the awareness of the unscheduled care policy within NHS Lothian and the reasons why parents/carers bring their child to the PED for non-urgent complaints. It was found that there was a general lack of awareness of the unscheduled care policy, and that non-urgent presentation was often due to inappropriate referral.
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