Understanding Same Day and Urgent Care Provision in the UK v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the provision of same day and urgent care services across the UK using a multiple case study design
IRAS ID
357276
Contact name
Sarah Voss
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of the West of England, Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This research explores how different same day and urgent care services are organised and delivered, with a focus on the people who work in them and the patients who use them. Across the UK, health services are under pressure due to high demand, workforce shortages, and changing patient needs. Some services have responded by developing new ways of working, adapting staff roles, or rethinking how care is delivered. However, we don’t yet fully understand which approaches work best, or why.
This study will take a close look at a small number of selected services to learn more about how and why they were developed, how they operate in practice, and what staff and patients think about them. We are particularly interested in how decisions about staffing are made and what helps or hinders workforce development.
We will carry out interviews with staff who deliver or manage same day and urgent care services, as well as with patients or their carers who have used these services. All interviews will be conducted by phone or video call and will last around 30 minutes. Participation is voluntary, and participants can stop at any time.
We will also review publicly available service documents, such as reports or evaluations, and we may receive routine, non-identifiable service data that is already collected by the organisations involved. This will help us understand the context in which services operate.
The findings .will contribute to a better understanding of what supports effective service delivery and workforce planning in same day and urgent care. This will help inform future improvements across the NHS.
All data will be handled securely and confidentially. No individuals or services will be named in any publications.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/YH/0125
Date of REC Opinion
4 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion