A&E Attendance Insights

Healthwatch Kent was commissioned to conduct visits to William Havey Hospital (WHH) and Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM), speaking to people about their journey to the initial assessment area of Accident and Emergency. Across 2 visits to each site, 50 people shared their experiences which included what services they had interacted with before attending and if they felt their attendance could have been avoided.

Key findings

• 88% of people had contacted one or more services in the lead up to their A&E attendance
• 74%  had been directed to go to A&E by one or more other services.
• Despite national concerns around inappropriate A&E use, only 8% of people reported attending A&E because they were unable to get a GP appointment
• Participants from urban and higher overall deprivation areas were overrepresented in the sample, however they were more likely to report uncertainty in the avoidability of their A&E visits
• In total, almost one-third of participants (32%) believed their A&E visit could have been avoided, while half considered it unavoidable (52%) and a further 16% were unsure. A greater proportion of people at QEQM were unsure whether their attendance could have been avoided (28% compared to 4%)
• 22% of people spoken to were unsure what alternatives to A&E were available to meet their needs.

Against a backdrop of rising pressures on emergency departments nationally and regional reviews into Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs), this study contributes to the growing body of research that challenges simplified assumptions about “inappropriate” A&E use and informs discussions around a shift from Hospital to Community.