Lymington Minor Injuries Unit - reducing patient waiting times

The initial 12 week data collection period saw mapping of various pathways through the MIU and questions around the people who attend - why do people come to MIU, how long do they wait, where else are they referred, where do they come from and what is their background?

During the week-long Rapid Process Improvement Week workshop the group of staff working in the MIU and patient group representatives then further explored this data to identify repeated processes, blockages in the system and where improvements could be made, specifically to improve how many patients are seen within the 15 minute target time between booking in and the initial assessment.

A total of 130 ideas were generated for changes that could improve waiting times across the unit, themed into five areas; staffing, environment, IT, communication and patient flow. Many of these are already being put in place, such as a handout for patients as they arrive at the unit, that outlines the types of illness or injury the unit can help with, and where else people can go for advice. The idea of this is to help reduce the number of people who come to the MIU inappropriately, which then affects waiting time for others who do need medical assistance.