Abstract

Before the pandemic, emergency care services across the world were under increasing pressure, yet many patients could have been better treated in community settings, and in many instances at home. The reduction in crowding in emergency care during the pandemic presents an opportunity for the reconfiguration of services and settings, including greater use of virtual care. Innovative ideas like Wolfson Economics Prize finalist, The Smart ED, an airline-style pod design that reimagines the emergency department, will be discussed, as an expert panel explores the drivers that will transform the design of urgent and emergency care settings and services in the future.

Panel:
Chair: Jonathan Erskine, director, European Health Property Network, UK;
Dr Cemel Sozener, associate professor, Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, USA;
Prof Grant Mills, professor of healthcare infrastructure delivery, The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, UK;
Dr Roderick Mackenzie, consultant in emergency medicine and pre-hospital emergency medicine; clinical director, Major Trauma Centre, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK;
Jennifer Whinnett, senior healthcare planner, Essentia, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, UK; and
Graeme Hall, executive chairman, Brandon Medical, UK.