Objectives Rising demand for emergency care in England is a continuing challenge driven by population ageing and increasing multimorbidity. Ambulatory emergency care (AEC) refers to the provision of same-day acute care for patients who might otherwise require admission.
However, the contribution of AEC conditions to demand remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the proportion and nature of patients attending emergency departments (ED) with AEC-related conditions and to describe variation between hospitals in attendances and emergency admissions for AEC conditions.
Design and setting A retrospective study of routine data from 21 acute hospitals in England, including adult ED attendances and emergency admissions between 1 November 2021 and 31 October 2022. We used a federated approach to ensure data security, applying established AEC definitions to explore variation by age, socioeconomic status and length of stay.
Outcome measures Primary: Proportion of (i) ED attendances and (ii) emergency admissions for AEC conditions.
BMJ Open published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 24 Jun 2026.
The item focuses on Variation in emergency department attendances and acute hospital admissions for ambulatory emergency care: a retrospective analysis of routinely collected NHS data across England.
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