The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has produced a new three-minute animation video to introduce new users to the Summary Emergency Department Indicator Table (SEDIT) data platform.

With over 16 million ED attendances in England in 2022, the SEDIT supports emergency department (ED) teams to understand their demand, capacity, flow and outcomes – and make improvements accordingly.

In the last decade, there has been a 74% increase in hospital admissions via EDs, with demographic and economic factors also playing a significant role in patient flow and demand; the most deprived section of the population attend EDs twice as often as least deprived.

With the help of colour-coded graphs, charts and filtering tools, the SEDIT helps to put these multifaceted challenges in context and presents the data that teams need to support improvements in their ED.

GIRFT is encouraging all ED teams in England to use the SEDIT to support patient flow and capacity management.

Dr Chris Moulton, GIRFT-EM and iUEC clinical lead and designer of the SEDIT, said: “The SEDIT was designed to fulfil the need to understand why different EDs have both similar and different problems, depending on factors such as the local population and the historical staffing of the hospital.

“We’d like to see all EDs in England using this valuable resource to inform their work and understand how the changes they make can benefits patients and the ED workforce”

Dr Gary Saynor, emergency medical consultant at The Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, added: “The metrics with the SEDIT help those external to the emergency department to be able to understand the current pressures and challenges within the system.”