Reducing unnecessary cannulation at Charing Cross Hospital

The emergency departments at St Mary’s Hospital and Charing Cross Hospital, both part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, treat a range of life-threatening injuries and illnesses. Patients who clinicians believe might be seriously ill and attend Accident and Emergency (A&E), routinely receive a cannula just in case it is needed to support the administration of fluids and medicines. However, a significant proportion of these are not actually required during a patient’s time in A&E, contributing to a waste of equipment and staff time, as well as patient discomfort and increased risk of infection.