Objectives:\udTo determine the impact of establishing walk-in centres alongside emergency departments\udon attendance rates, visit duration, process, costs and outcome of care.\udMethods:\udEight hospitals with co-located emergency departments and walk-in centres were compared\udwith eight matched emergency departments without walk-in centres. Site visits were\udconducted. Routine data about attendance numbers and use of resources were analysed. A\udrandom sample of records of patients attending before and after walk-in centres opened\udwere also assessed. Patients who had not been admitted to hospital were sent a postal\udquestionnaire.\udResults:\udIn most sites, the walk-in centres did not have a distinct identity and there were few\uddifferences in the way services were provided compared with control sites. Overall, there\udwas no evidence of an increase in attendance at sites with walk-in centres, but considerable\udvariability across sites. The proportion of patients managed within the four-hour NHS target\udimproved at sites both with and without walk-in centres. There was no evidence of any\uddifference in re-consultation rates, costs of care or patient outcomes at sites with or without\udwalk-in centres.\udConclusions:\udMost hospitals in this study implemented the walk-in centre concept to a very limited extent.\udConsequently there was no evidence of any impact on attendance rates, process, costs or\udoutcome of care.
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