I've seen other Demand and Capacity tools, what is the difference between them?
The Children & Young People's Referral Management System Tool (CReST) is a demand and capacity tool, initially designed for Children and Young People's Mental Health pathways however can be applied across wider health and care sector pathways and services.
CReST is a user friendly and easily accessible online tool. Through inputting basic information, CReST provides valuable insight into what services can look like in terms of what capacity is needed to meet the needs of patient populations. The outputs can also support operational and strategic planning for new and improved pathways with improved waiting times for service users and patients as well as inform commissioning decisions at Integrated Care System level.
CReST can help you to:
- Model and create scenarios for services and pathways simultaneously by uploading their service data using the template provided.
- Deliver customisable management reports including charts and data tables.
- And model a 12-month forward view, considering potential emerging backlog.
This differs from other demand and capacity tools, which can often time focus on a more operational level.