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A click to Streamline the Transfer of NEATS
patients Laurence CHAN, Supporting Services
Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Problem / Risk Indentified
An efficient Non-Emergency Ambulance Transfer Services (NEATS) will reduce waiting and transit time of patient during transfer which hinges on cooperation and communication between health care professionals and the NEATS Control Centre. However, there were occasions in which NEATS vehicle had been deployed for the transfer of patient according to the request time indicated in the NEATS Transport Supporting System (NTSS) but the patient was not ready.
Objective
To reduce waiting time of patients and smooth out the transfer process by enhancing the communication between wards and NEATS control centre through the improvement of IT system.
Actions Taken
1. Notification in Advance The NTSS was modified so that ward users can proactively notify the NEATS control center online about the patients readiness for boarding NEATS vehicle for patients with NEATS bookings. 2 Ready-to-go Notification After wards have completed all the pre-discharge process and procedures and patients are ready to leave the wards for boarding NEATS, ward can simply click the patient ready checkbox in NTSS and this will notify the NEATS control center about the readiness of the patient.

Outcomes / Results
This measure has enabled the control centre to facilitate an early arrangement of NEATS service for the patients and to avoid unnecessary waiting either by the patient or by the NEATS crew. Hence, the quality of the service is increased.