Something new is happening at Queen’s Hospital from Monday (11 July).

People arriving at our Emergency Department (ED) between 8am and 8pm who don’t really need to be there will be redirected to more appropriate places to receive care.

They will be checked over by one of our doctors, and if they could be seen and treated elsewhere then they will be given advice on where to go to get the care they need. That could be from a GP, a pharmacist, a late night GP service, or even in their own homes.

The scheme will run until Friday 22 July, following the success of a one-day trial back in May. Children aged 16 and under will not be affected.

It means that our ED teams will be able to focus on those who really need their help and expertise to deal with life threatening illness or injury. That is what the ED is really for.

The trial has been agreed with health partners across Barking, Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge, and will allow us to see what people do when they can’t simply walk into an ED and wait to be seen. We will be able to monitor the impact on GPs and other health and social care services, and that will then help us to plan future services for the area.

A study has shown that one in three people who come to the Emergency Departments at Queen’s and King George hospitals do not need to be there – they do not have a life-threatening condition and are not an emergency. By redirecting them elsewhere, they can be seen more quickly, and our expert staff can concentrate on those who critically need their care.

The research confirms that people are no longer put off by long waits in EDs, and our doctors and nurses are finding it harder to cope. We need new ways of assessing and helping local people to get the right care in the right place - and reducing the pressure on our busy EDs at the same time.

The outcomes of the trial will be a key part of the work taking place across the three boroughs to transform urgent and emergency care as part of a national “vanguard” project.

Akin Idowu, an ED consultant, said:

“Running the department in this way allows us to care for those most in need.

“We know that many people come to our EDs when they do not need emergency care. If they went to the right place in the community, it would be much more convenient for them. This trial will allow us to redirect people so they are cared for in the right place, and educate them about the options available to them.”

Full information on getting the right care is available here.

The study into people’s use of EDs can be found on the BHR Partnership website.