11,000 Patients, £2 Million Saved - Rethinking the Front Door of the NHS

“Chaotic. Unpleasant. Stressful. Noisy. Crammed. Violent.”

For many patients, that’s the reality of sitting in an Emergency Department (ED). It’s also one of the toughest environments with NHS staff reporting it is relentlessly busy, under-resourced, and emotionally draining. There is constant pressure to move patients through the system, often without the tools or pathways to do so effectively, leaves even the most experienced teams exhausted.

Despite repeated efforts to signpost patients elsewhere, ED remains the one door that always feels open. When access to NHS care is complex or delayed, patients will default to the service they believe won’t turn them away. The result is an overstretched, overcrowded system where too many arrive asking for help, even when it is not suitable for their case.

No one disputes that unwell patients must be treated, but the way we manage urgent demand creates unnecessary contact points, inflated costs, and long, distressing waits.

Each attendance at ED triggers significant cost to the NHS, often exceeding what a GP receives for providing a full year of care for the same patient. And when those patients are transferred onward, further charges follow. What we end up with is an inefficient system with excessive ED activity that creates a longer more expensive pathway for the NHS to fund. That’s why many NHS providers are now taking control of this inflow, by using Cinapsis to create safer, smarter alternatives to ED. This connects Paramedics, GPs, Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Consultants through a single platform. Cinapsis enables clinicians to get rapid specialist input and agree clear patient plans within minutes. The result is a streamlined decision-making process that prevents unnecessary ED attendance while keeping patients safe and supported.

The impact is transformative. One NHS provider reviewed a year of activity and identified over 11,000 patients who were safely redirected away from ED using Cinapsis-enabled pathways. Those patients avoided the stress of overcrowded waiting rooms, received faster care, and freed up critical capacity for those who genuinely needed emergency treatment. The financial saving was over £2 million, but the real value lay in the improved experience for patients and staff alike.

The new pathway enables Specialist Services, for example a Stroke Team, to directly discuss a case with a Paramedic, send the patient straight for a scan and then to their Specialist Unit.  With the results to hand, they can treat the patient effectively and far more quickly than via a queue in ED.  The experience and outcomes for patients can (and evidence shows) that this is life changing.

This is what modern urgent care should look like. Not more pressure on a single front door, but a smarter, connected alternative that protects patients, supports staff, and saves the NHS millions. 

The evidence exists. The technology is proven. The benefits are measurable. So, the real question is if one provider can save £2 million, ease staff pressure, and improve patient care simply by managing flow smarter, why isn’t every area doing it?

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