We tendered for the project of reviewing the enmergency pathway at a 2-site London Trust. Both the type of services provided and the payment for those services had been disputed for some years, culminating in formal mediation proceedings in April 2016.
Our review firstly walked the pathways, for adults and children on each site, and discussed key issues with front line staff. We then made recommendations as to what extent the services reflected national standards and best practice in emergency medicine.
The second part of our review looked at the cost of the current service configuaration and how that might change going forward, e.g. increased use of ambulatory pathways as opposed to overnight admissions. It recommended a pricing structure to be used in future years’ contracts that would provide a transparent basis on which commissioners could reimburse the Trust for activity undertaken.
The review was featured in the HSJ in January 2017 and a copy of the report can be downloaded from there.