Emergency nurse : the journal of the RCN Accident and Emergency Nursing Association
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More than 40% of hospitals in England were forced to declare major incidents during the first week of January, as bed shortages led to delays in emergency departments (EDs), thousands of trolley waits for beds and long queues of ambulances outside units. Even cancer operations, normally protected, were cancelled.
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Emergency departments (EDs) in the UK are facing unprecedented increases in attendance, and the ability to safely assess, diagnose, treat, refer or discharge patients is a national challenge. This article discusses one component of a comprehensive ED strategy created to address serious concerns identified by regulators and develop and improve services in the department at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Kent.