The role of a flow coordinator in an emergency assessment unit.

This article describes the rationale and change management approach used for the development and initial evaluation of a patient-flow coordinator to the Emergency Assessment Area at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital. This post was established to improve patient flow and departmental efficiency in order to achieve the latest four-hour maximum waiting-to-treatment time directive. The working context, concept, process-mapping approach, core objectives and key functions of the role are all discussed.