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Report: Understanding Patient Flow in Hospitals

Topic : NHS Type : Report

The aim that 95% of patients attending A&E should be admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours is one of the highest profile NHS targets, yet it is being consistently missed across England. Previous Nuffield Trust work has argued that although the target can be over-emphasised, struggles in meeting it are associated with deeper problems in the capacity to move patients into hospital wards. This briefing draws on theories about congestion to look at why this has become more difficult, and what can be done about it. It aims to be useful to the hospital managers and people involved in Sustainability and Transformation Plans who tackle these problems on the front line, as well as to the policymakers who oversee them.

Source: Nuffield Trust