Advancing your Paediatric Assessment Unit
Thu 4 Feb 2027 09:00-16:10
Online Forum, 5 CPD Hours

Improve patient flow, reduce avoidable admissions and build a more sustainable PAU

Come together for online training with PAU leads, consultant paediatricians, senior nurses, ward managers and clinical leads from across the NHS. In this unique setting, you will learn how to strengthen your referral pathways, improve collaboration between ED and PAU, reduce avoidable admissions and support children to return home sooner through more effective discharge planning.

This interactive forum will give you the opportunity to compare how other Paediatric Assessment Units are managing increasing demand, benchmark your referral pathways and staffing models, and share practical approaches to improving patient flow. Take one day out to explore strategies for managing telephone referrals, strengthening communication with primary care and ED, introducing nurse-led discharge and developing Hospital at Home services. You will leave better equipped to manage workforce pressures, demonstrate the value of your PAU and build a safer, more efficient and sustainable service.

Key learning outcomes

How your PAU can work better under pressure

Join your PAU colleagues to compare what is working, hear how other services have approached change and consider what could work in your own unit. Through practical examples and guided discussion, this interactive online forum will support you in managing your pressures:

  • Improve referral pathways into PAU by strengthening links with GPs and supporting more children to be safely managed in the community
  • Manage telephone referrals and advice more effectively by reducing interruptions to clinical care and improving how incoming calls are handled
  • Strengthen collaboration between ED and PAU through better communication, escalation planning and safety huddles to maintain safe patient flow
  • Reduce discharge delays and get children home sooner by exploring nurse-led discharge and Hospital at Home models
  • Build a safer, more sustainable PAU workforce by using staffing and acuity tools to inform decisions and adapting skill mix to meet changing demand
  • Demonstrate the value of your PAU service by evidencing its impact on admissions, patient flow and safety to support future investment and service development

Live remote learning

Interactive online training: share, compare and improve

This interactive online forum will give you the opportunity to step away from day-to-day pressures, compare your practice with colleagues and explore practical ways to improve patient flow, pathways and staffing within your Paediatric Assessment Unit. Throughout the day, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Connect with PAU colleagues from across the NHS and compare how other units are managing demand, patient flow and workforce pressures
  • Take part in guided discussions and shared learning around referral pathways, communication between ED and PAU, staffing models and skill mix
  • Ask questions and share your own challenges with expert speakers and peers throughout the day
  • Take away practical ideas and approaches to improve patient flow, support safer discharge and build a more sustainable PAU service