Commenting on NHS trusts implementing the North Bristol Model, which requires patients to be moved every hour from emergency departments to acute medicine units (AMUs) “irrespective of bed availability” and move patients every hour from AMU to wards, Dr Nick Scriven, a past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said:
“This will only be a safe and viable model with 24-hour decision makers in place and very low base ward occupancy levels, so there must be complete confidence this is achievable before any rollout is considered.
“Much more planning and consultation is needed to develop a comprehensive programme that factors in staffing, expertise, patient needs, flow through and out of hospital and contingencies when problems occur.”