While much research tracks patient contacts across healthcare systems, relatively few studies ask the patient about their experience over the 24 hours before presentation to the emergency department (ED).We undertook a patient survey during the busiest weeks ever recorded at our standalone inner-city ED. As attendances approached 1400 patients per week, we attempted to understand each patient’s journey prior to arrival at our ED. Informed consent was obtained from each family, including permission for the outcome of each presentation to be recorded for later anonymised analysis.

Between 08:00 and 23:59 on four non-consecutive days in November and December 2022, each family was approached in the waiting room by a medical student and asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire via a QR code or on a tablet by the student as they waited to be seen. Priority 1 presentations were excluded to avoid treatment delays, whilst patients admitted overnight were excluded due to staffing limitations.

Questions included both categorised responses and free-text options, asking what triggered an attendance and which, if any, services were accessed prior to the ED. The outcomes of those interactions, as well as a question on whether families felt the outcome was acceptable, were also included. At …