Emergency departments should be part of hubs providing access to specially trained nurses, GPs and pharmacists states a new report by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM).
The recommendations follow a summit bringing together experts from both Colleges.
Janet Davies, the chief executive of the RCN said that the time for action is now and that 'patients deserve better'.There can be no excuse to ignore this situtation any longer'.
The report acknowledged that the pressure on A&E is now becoming a year-round concern rather than just during the winter. In order to combat this resources need to be used more effectively and A&E needs a 'new paradigm'.
There needs to be a recognition that treatment could be offereed by a specialist nurse, a co-located GP or a pharmacist rather than a emergency medicine physician.
'In this way we improve services for patients by responding appropriately to their needs whilst also improving the quality and timeliness of emergency department performance,' the report said.
The RCEM, RCN and Health Education England are conducting a census to collect information from all emergency departments in England about the full range of professionals that provide emergency care and co-located care. Results will be released in the future.
The report also recommends better training for nurses and a new culture in emergency departments.