Improved recording of A&E activity
New method backed by Royal College of Emergency Medicine.
A new methodology to accurately capture all emergency care activity in weekly and monthly Public Health Scotland statistical publications will be applied from 4 February 2025.
The move, backed by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, means published statistics will now include ‘planned’ A&E attendances. This is where a patient is given a specific time slot to attend a minor injury unit or A&E department to receive emergency care.
The update follows recommendations from an expert working group, that was asked to consider how to improve the consistency in the recording of A&E activity nationally. The inclusion of ‘planned’ attendances in Scottish A&E statistics aligns with the inclusion of booked ‘new’ appointments in A&E statistics reported in England.
In a published analysis of the new methodology, Public Health Scotland have confirmed the changes will have a minimal impact on performance figures.
National Clinical Lead for Quality & Safety NHS Scotland Dr John Harden said:
“On behalf of the Scottish Government, I thank the expert working group for their work to explore how we can improve the consistency in the recording of A&E activity.
“As we strive to improve A&E performance, it is vital that we have a clear picture of emergency care across the country, and that the data we collect reflects the hard work of staff on the ground, so we have accepted the group’s recommendation to include planned A&E attendances in published stats.
“This means weekly and monthly stats will now provide a more accurate and consistent reading of the levels of emergency care being provided by our Health Boards.”
Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Dr John Paul Loughrey said:
“The Royal College of Emergency Medicine welcomes the Scottish Government’s ‘Four Hour Emergency Access Standard: Expert Working Group Recommendations Report’. Accurate and consistent performance monitoring is crucial for improving Emergency Care in Scotland.
“The working group formed to assess performance data has provided recommendations that will significantly enhance data collection and prevent variations across health boards. The measures will help provide a clearer representation of the pressures faced by A&Es and ways for Policy Makers to work with clinical experts and RCEM to resuscitate emergency care.”
Clinical Director of Emergency Medicine at NHS Lothian Dr David McKean said:
“This revision of the Emergency Access Standard demonstrates a further commitment to providing safe, timely care to patients across Scotland. It should help to remove variation and ensure that all patients requiring emergency care are treated consistently across services.”
Background
The Scottish Government, along with Public Health Scotland, established the Four Hour Emergency Access Standard Expert Working Group to consider how to improve the consistency in the recording of A&E performance across NHS Scotland.
The Working Group was formed of: clinical experts from across Scotland’s Health Boards; information and data representatives from Boards; Data Management and Analytical Teams from Public Health Scotland; representation from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and officials from the Scottish Government’s Health and Social Care Directorate.
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