18 February 2025

Patients are receiving faster and more efficient emergency care thanks to improvements in the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) departments at the county’s two acute hospitals.

Designed to provide urgent treatment for patients who don’t require an overnight stay, SDEC is helping to reduce waiting times, improve patient experience and ease pressure on busy emergency departments at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).

SDEC is proving to be a vital part of emergency services at SaTH, which runs Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford.

Dr John Jones, Executive Medical Director, said: “Our priority is to ensure that every patient visiting our emergency departments receives the highest standard of care. This means making sure they are assessed and treated as quickly and efficiently as possible, in the most appropriate setting for their needs.

“Delivering the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time is a fundamental part of this approach.

“The improvements in SDEC play a crucial role in achieving this aim. By enhancing our ability to diagnose, treat, and discharge patients within the same day, we can reduce waiting times, improve patient experience and ensure that those who need urgent care receive it promptly. This is fantastic news for our patients, as it helps us provide a more seamless, more effective, and responsive service.”

SDEC provides high-quality care for medical patients who require emergency treatment but can safely go home the same day. By ensuring patients are seen by the right clinician at the right time, SDEC reduces waiting times and helps patients get back to their daily lives quicker.

Patients can be referred to SDEC through the emergency departments (A&Es), NHS 111, ambulance services, or other healthcare teams, ensuring they get the care they need without unnecessary delays.

Dr Shakawan Ismaeel, Joint Clinical Director for Acute Medicine, said: “The aim is to treat patients quickly, safely, and efficiently, so they can go home on the same day. This approach not only benefits our patients, but also eases pressure on our busy hospitals.”

Dr Nawaid Ahmad, Joint Clinical Director for Acute Medicine added: “The success of SDEC is a testament to the incredible hard work and commitment of the entire team. By improving patient journeys, reducing waiting times particularly for patients seen in the emergency departments and optimising hospital resources, SDEC has become a vital part of emergency care at RSH and PRH.”

The SDEC team uses a proactive clinical model to manage patients:

  • Patients are sent directly from A&E to SDEC receive short-term care and can usually go home the same day.
  • The team identifies other suitable patients in A&E who could benefit from SDEC care, even if they weren’t referred initially.

Since the SDEC improvement programme was launched, the number of patients referred from ED to SDEC, without a hospital admission, has risen from 34.4% in January 2024 to 42.1% in January 2025. This equates to 240 additional patients in January of this year compared to the same time the previous year.

Plans are underway to recruit more staff and expand services, including additional follow-up clinics for patients who need further tests or consultations, helping free up space in SDEC for new patients.