NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) has begun rolling out a digital triage system across its emergency departments as part of its Virtual Hospital programme, which aims to improve patient flow and prioritise the most urgent cases.
The first phase of the rollout went live at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital on 24 June 2026, with the system launched at Royal Alexandra Hospital on 30 June and due to go live at Glasgow Royal Infirmary later this week and Inverclyde Royal Hospital next week.
The digital triage platform, known as eTriage, is provided by eConsult and enables patients to check in at a touchscreen kiosk on arrival at A&E before answering a series of clinically designed questions about their symptoms.
The information is transmitted immediately to clinical teams, giving staff access to patients’ responses within minutes.
By the time patients enter the waiting area, clinicians already have access to this information, supporting decisions about prioritisation and treatment.
Lorraine Cowie, director of interface at NHSGGC, said: “Introducing digital triage across our A&E departments is an important step in improving how quickly and safely we assess patients.
“By giving clinicians immediate access to high-quality information, we can prioritise those in most urgent need and reduce delays.
“As part of our wider Virtual Hospital programme, this approach will also help us guide some patients to more appropriate services, including offering advice, virtual support or booked appointments elsewhere when it is safe to do so.
“This means A&E can focus on the most serious conditions, while other patients are seen more quickly in the right setting.
“Patient safety will always remain our priority, and anyone who needs emergency care will continue to receive it.”
According to NHSGGC, the technology is intended to help emergency teams identify patients requiring urgent intervention more quickly and give staff real-time visibility of patients waiting in the department.
The rollout forms part of the health board’s wider Virtual Hospital programme, which aims to reduce delays, improve patient flow and ensure patients receive care in the most appropriate setting.
As the programme develops, information gathered through digital triage will also support patients being directed to alternative services where appropriate, reducing unnecessary waits in emergency departments.
Rather than remaining in A&E, some patients could receive clinical advice, access a virtual consultation, be offered a booked appointment with another service or be guided towards a more suitable care setting, where it is clinically safe to do so.
Traditional reception services will remain available for patients who would prefer to speak with a member of staff or who require additional assistance because of accessibility needs, language barriers or limited digital confidence.
In spring 2025, NHS Lanarkshire introduced eTriage, with the system first going live at University Hospital Monklands, before being rolled out to University Hospital Wishaw and University Hospital Hairmyres.
