Customised queuing system from Call Aid brings order to A&E
Carlton, Nottingham (PRWEB UK) 25 April 2015 -- St. Marys Hospital Accident and Emergency Department, London, has recently installed a customised queuing system developed by Call Aid Limited, Nottingham.
With concerns about the increasing levels of violence against staff witnessed across the NHS (1), A&E unit managers identified an opportunity to enable clients to be checked into reception in order of arrival by adopting a queuing system.
Operating 24/7, St Marys A&E reception team are regularly faced with clientele who can be drunk and disorderly. A regular source of conflict in the A&E waiting area was queue jumping and clients crowding the reception desk causing privacy issues, which in turn caused altercations.
Call Aid UK’s solution to improve the arrival experience at St Marys Hospital A&E department was to design and build a robust steel pedestal that would house a ticket printer, electronics and a ticket on demand button.
Ron Gretton, Managing Director, Call Aid explains: “The A&E management team wanted a system that would allow clients to take a ticket on arrival and sit in the waiting room until they were called to the reception desk to be booked onto the hospital system. The challenge for us was the L shaped design of the waiting area, with a number of structural pillars obscuring the view to a single display screen. In addition to these difficulties, there were no suitable walls at the entrance door to which a printer and signage could be attached.”
To overcome these issues, Call Aid selected appropriate hardware and provided a tailored software solution to produce a simple to use system. Call Aid installed three standard slim line digital patient call screens at high positions so that a screen is in view from any seated location in the waiting room.
“The A&E reception team have told us that there is a calmer atmosphere as a result of our installation and less aggression at the reception desk,” commented Ron.
The Call Aid queuing system includes clear, visual LCD displays as well as automatic audio announcements. Patients simply press a button on arrival at A&E, take their ticket and book in at reception when they see their number appear on screen – or hear the audio call to reception.
For further information, please visit http://www.callaiduk.com or call 0115 940 0905
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Notes to Editors:
1. NHS Protect recorded a total of 63,199 assaults in England during 2012-13, of which 16,475 were associated with the acute medicine sector. http://www.nhscounterfraud.nhs.uk/Reported%20physical%20assaults%20on%20NHS%20staff%20-%20Figures%202002-03%20to%202012-13.pdf
Philippa Bevan, [email protected], +44 1785747102, [email protected]
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