The relationship between the national evaluation and local monitoring and evaluation
Alongside the national evaluation undertaken by the University of Bristol each walk-in centre identified local issues to be assessed which are set out in the local monitoring and evaluation plan for each centre.These smaller
scale studies are being undertaken by the walk-in centres themselves with
help from local clinical audit departments, universities and contract researchers.
Some walk-in centres have taken a staged approach, assessing need before
implementing and evaluating a new service. Some plan to address a single
issue, others several. The issues being addressed can be grouped together
and have been identified from the centres’ draft monitoring and evaluation
plans.
User issues: patient satisfaction
Several walk-in centres are looking at the extent to which users are satisfied with the quality of service they receive (Bath, Birmingham, Coventry, Haywood, Leigh, Loughborough, Manchester, Norwich, Peterborough, Stoke, Swindon and York). In some of these areas this will be complemented by research looking at the views of health professionals (Leigh, Norwich, Peterborough and York).User issues: use of walk-in centres by specific groups
Although access is a priority for walk-in centres, their use may vary between groups in the local population and this is being explored in some local studies. The groups identified by walk-in centres include: |
members of minority ethnic groups, those who require translation services, asylum seekers (Edgware, North Middlesex, Peterborough, Sheffield, Slough, Tooting, and Wakefield). |
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people without a local GP, such as tourists, visitors to the town and homeless people (Bath, Leigh, Nottingham, Peterborough, Swindon, Tooting and York). |
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men and men’s health issues (Wakefield, Wirral and York). |
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mental
health users (Nottingham and Tooting).
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Nursing issues: staffing
Walk-in centres are nurse-led services and questions relating to the staffing feature in many local research plans. Between them these studies cover training and development needs, staff satisfaction, and recruitment and retention (Birmingham, Bristol, Coventry, Harlow, Leigh, Liverpool, Manchester, Norwich and Stoke). Although the walk-in centre service is nurse-led, some centres have access to on-site GPs and this is being reviewed by two centres (North Middlesex and Soho).Nursing issues: service delivery
Some medicines can be issued in walk-in centres under detailed, specific, clinical protocols (called patient group directions). Some centres plan to review the use of their existing protocols and the development of new protocols (Exeter, Harlow, Norwich, Peterborough). Two centres will specifically review their use of antibiotics (Loughborough and North Middlesex) and three their emergency contraception protocols (Nottingham, Slough and Wakefield).A more general
review of services is planned by Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Leigh, and Newham.
This review will identify which services should be offered by these walk-in
centres in the future.
Links with other services
Walk-in centres are a new service and are establishing and developing links with other parts of the health service. This issue features in many walk-in centre plans:- referral to, or impact on local GPs and primary care services (Bath, Bristol, Coventry, Exeter, Harlow, North Middlesex and Swindon).
- referral patterns and links with A&E (Bristol, Coventry, Harlow, Nottingham, Soho, Stoke, Swindon, Whitechapel and York).
- direct referral to x-ray (Harlow, Nottingham and Stoke)
- co-location
with a pharmacy (Wirral).
Managing patient flows
Most walk-in centres opened in 2000 and are experiencing an increase in the number of users. Patterns of demand during the day are being reviewed by Bath, Birmingham, Exeter, Leigh, Peterborough, Swindon and York.Other issues
Finally, two centres are reviewing their accommodation (Exeter and Norwich), one is evaluating the impact of Healthy Living Advice (Tooting) and one is undertaking a review of their triage system (Birmingham).This page was prepared by Christine Pennington who is currently seconded to the Department of Health as national advisor to walk-in centres on their local evaluations. Christine can be contacted on cpennington@rowanmast.co.uk
Last updated 02 July 2002
