The Urgent Care Service Level Alliance (UCSLA) is helping provide the most appropriate urgent care options for people by providing clinical leadership to the development of processes and services that reduce Emergency Department attendances and hospital admission rates.

With a priority to meet the needs of the Canterbury population, this includes developing and refining community-based acute demand services, promoting shorter stay in Emergency Departments, supporting timely discharge from hospital, targeting patients with the greatest capacity to benefit, and supporting those with a high level of need to access appropriate urgent care in the community rather than in hospitals.

The UCSLA formed late in 2009 to look at the overall programme of urgent care in Canterbury, including revisiting the successful work done in the acute demand portfolio of work. The SLA is associated with the Acute Demand Management Service.