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Rugby nurse's plan to help dementia patients 'trapped' in A&E

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www.bbc.co.uk

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A portrait photograph of a person sitting indoors at a desk or table, facing the camera. The person is wearing a white long-sleeved top and a blue NHS-branded lanyard. Their hair is tied back and they are wearing dangling earrings. In the background, there is a large abstract artwork on the wall and a leafy green plant.

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Rugby nurse develops buzzer scheme to help dementia patients in A&E

Overview

Victoria McGrath, a dementia nurse based in Rugby, has developed a pilot scheme called 'Wait Well' using restaurant-style buzzers to prevent dementia patients from becoming distressed and trapped in A&E waiting rooms. The proposal would allow clinically safe patients and their carers to leave the waiting area and visit quieter locations like a garden or shop while keeping their place in the queue. McGrath is currently awaiting funding decisions, working with the NHS Innovation Network, and hoping to trial the scheme at University Hospital Coventry.

Key points

  • Rugby-based dementia nurse Victoria McGrath has developed the 'Wait Well' pilot scheme using restaurant-style pagers.
  • The system allows dementia patients deemed clinically safe to leave A&E waiting areas with a carer and return when called.
  • McGrath hopes to trial the scheme at University Hospital Coventry (UHCW) with a long-term aim of rolling it out nationally.
  • The initiative aims to prevent patients from experiencing distress in volatile and overwhelming A&E environments where some have waited up to 28 hours.
  • McGrath is working with the NHS Innovation Network and awaiting funding decisions to progress the pilot.
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