Greater Manchester quietly rolls out booking system for A&E

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

direct to your inboxA booking system for Accident and Emergency departments across Greater Manchester is being slowly rolled out from this month as the NHS eyes up a major cultural shift in the way care is delivered.The plan - part of a wider national strategy - aims to direct people who do not need an ambulance away from A&E, by asking them to ring 111 before they attend.Officials say the move has been accelerated by the pandemic, including concerns about available A&E space due to infection control measures, but has been under discussion since before Covid-19.It will not mean people who do walk in at A&E will be turned away, they say, but patients will be ‘streamed’ at the front door and directed to other services if appropriate, such as.