NHS Lanarkshire to launch eTriage to improve patient safety

NHS Lanarkshire is set to introduce eTriage, a digital check-in and triage system designed to improve patient safety.

eTriage, which will be launched in spring 2025, is an easy-to-use yet advanced digital system that involves the patient self-registering when they arrive in an Emergency Department.

It supports clinicians by gathering key patient information at the point of arrival, allowing for faster assessment and prioritisation of care.

The system, provided by eConsult, will not replace staff-led triage but will help to ensure patients receive the correct care as quickly as possible.

The data, overseen by clinicians, also provides an additional and continuous ‘safety lens’ on the waiting room.

Claire Ritchie, interim director of NHS Lanarkshire’s Interface Directorate, said: “The introduction of eTriage is a proactive step to enhance patient experience, prioritising those in most urgent need while minimising unnecessary delays.

“Importantly, this system will support and enhance our existing processes — not replace them — ensuring that emergency care teams have better visibility and coordination.”

eTriage will first go live at University Hospital Monklands, followed by a phased rollout to University Hospital Wishaw and University Hospital Hairmyres.

At present, patients check in at reception, wait to be assessed by a triage nurse, and then wait again for medical review.

eTriage provides an additional option that streamlines the process by capturing key information at the outset — information normally gathered at reception and then triage — so clinicians have what they need from the moment the patient checks in.

“By providing a continuous ‘safety lens’ on the waiting room, eTriage ensures critical cases are identified instantly, enabling faster, data-driven decision-making,” Ritchie added.

“Similar systems have been successfully implemented in England and Wales, with clear improvements in patient flow, safety and clinical oversight.”

To ensure a smooth transition, rigorous testing, staff training and stakeholder engagement, including with patient representatives, is underway, with communications to inform the wider public.

The first kiosks are expected to be operational at Monklands by late April 2025.

Works commenced last week at the entrance to University Hospital Wishaw’s Emergency Department as part of general improvements to enhance patient experience.

These planned works, which will last until 6 April 2025 will also incorporate the necessary infrastructure for the introduction of eTriage.

In May 2024, Digital Health News reported that NHS Lanarkshire had tested a digital system that helps determine how ill patients are when they arrive at the emergency department and prioritises their treatment accordingly.

The Alcidion Patientrack digital patient observation system was tested by staff at University Hospital Monklands as part of the digital planning process for a replacement hospital which is planned to open at Wester Moffat in Airdrie in 2031.