Table 1 Questions asked during survey regarding acute services

Questions regarding planned changes (before day of survey):

 • Does your Trust have an escalation plan?

 • Have extra medical beds been created for winter pressures? e.g. an escalation ward

 • If you have an escalation ward, which team provides daytime medical cover for these patients?

  ○ Acute medicine, dedicated medical team, general medicine team with responsibilities for other wards, medical specialties, other (tick all that apply)

 • Which team provides daytime medical cover for patients who are medical outliers on non-medical wards?

  ○ Acute medicine, dedicated medical team, general medicine team with responsibilities for other wards, medical specialties, other (tick all that apply)

 • Have doctors in training been moved to help with increased pressures?

 • Have extra clinical staff been added to help with winter pressures?

 • Have extra non-clinical staff been added to help with winter pressures?

 • In times of pressure, is your AEC ever bedded?

 • Have teaching sessions been cancelled due to winter pressures?

  ○ Some, all or none

Questions regarding pressure on the day of the survey:

 • What OPEL level was your Trust on?

 • Had your Trust started using their escalation plan?

 • Were elective surgeries cancelled in the week up to and including the day of the survey?

  ○ Some, all or none

 • Was your AEC area bedded?

 • Did your hospital have any bed closures affecting the number of beds? e.g. due to norovirus or flu

 • Were ambulances diverted away from your hospital’s emergency department at any time?

 • Did patients have to wait in emergency department corridors?

 • At 16:00, were there patients in AMU who did not have an AMU bed?

 • If yes, how many?