Objectives
To evaluate patient experience in same day emergency care (SDEC) across two sites in England and examine variation in experience by age, gender, ethnicity and disability.
Design
Cross-sectional survey with embedded free-text content analysis.
Setting
Two acute medical SDEC departments in England.
Participants
Adults (aged ≥18 years) attending SDEC between October 2024 and June 2025.
Primary and secondary outcome measures
Primary outcome: overall patient experience and experience across eight SDEC journey phases. Secondary outcomes: subgroup differences by demographic characteristics and recurring patterns identified through content analysis of free-text comments.
Results
There were 312 respondents (response rate 78%); demographic characteristics were broadly similar across sites. Overall experience was highly rated (median 10, IQR 8–10; maximum score=10). Across the eight journey phases, item-level responses and composite scores were strongly positive, with most domains clustered at the upper end of the scale. The Waiting domain showed more mixed responses, and the Leaving SDEC domain displayed a wider spread of scores. Qualitative content analysis identified recurring positive patterns related to coordinated care, interpersonal communication and environmental comfort
Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences by site or gender. Respondents aged >75 years had higher odds of reporting a positive experience in the Waiting domain, respondents from Other ethnicities (all non-white-British groups) had lower odds of reporting positive experiences and disabled respondents reported lower odds of positive experiences in the Doctors and Nurses domain.
Conclusions
SDEC patients reported consistently positive experiences, with only a few areas showing more mixed views. Most demographic groups reported similar experiences, but lower ratings among respondents from Other ethnicities and disabled patients highlighted equity gaps. Although SDEC is primarily established in England, similar models are emerging internationally and these findings offer insights for acute care pathways globally.
Trial registration number
Open Science Framework, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/2CB6K.
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)