Emergency ambulatory care - University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

Emergency ambulatory care

The emergency ambulatory care unit provides same day assessment and treatment for patients who have been referred by either their GP, the emergency department, outpatients or following a hospital admission. Patients attending the emergency ambulatory care unit should be able to mobilise with minimal assistance.

About us

Emergency ambulatory care provides a same day emergency care service. You’ll be assessed and investigated to aid diagnosis. Treatment will then be planned and ideally implemented and most patients will be able to go home the same day.

You can be referred by your GP, by our Emergency Department team, or as part of your discharge plan from a ward in the hospital.

Your referral will be reviewed by our clinical team and then our admin team will contact you to confirm the date and time you should attend the unit

If your condition deteriorates before your appointment then please contact your GP or call 111 for advice.

If you attend the Emergency Department please let them know you have an appointment on the Emergency Ambulatory Care unit (EACU).

How we help

We treat many common medical and surgical conditions including:

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE)
Non-specific abdominal pain
Cellulitis
Complex headaches

We aim to test or give you treatment within the duration of your visit. This enables you to go home the same day and continue your treatment with us without admission to hospital.

Getting ready for your visit

Visitors and relatives

We are a very busy clinical area with limited seating therefore we ask that you come alone. If you require the support of a relative or carer please discuss with the nurse in charge prior to your visit.

Please note we do not allow children onto the unit for safety reasons.

What happens during your visit

Arrival

Please report to the Emergency Ambulatory Care unit reception where you will be greeted by a member of staff who will introduce themselves and the unit facilities. They will confirm your details and check you in our system.

Assessment

You will be assessed by a nurse or health care practitioner who, ideally within the first hour of your arrival will take your blood pressure, pulse and temperature. Shortly after you will see a doctor who will ask about your symptoms and some background regarding what has brought you in. Depending on your condition they may also carry out some immediate tests, such as blood or urine tests.

Investigations

You may require more specific diagnostic test such as an X-ray, CT scan, MRI Scan or ultrasound.

You’ll need to wait while staff arrange for these investigations.

Treatments or procedures

Once the results from your tests are known the team will create a treatment plan for you, which will usually begin on the unit.

If you need a procedure, this will also be done on the unit in most cases.

Waiting

If you’ve been given a time slot to attend the unit, please arrive on time.

Please note that patients are not always seen in time order as you may be waiting to see different specialists.

There may be some waiting for parts of your assessment and treatment. Where possible these will be booked to a fixed time to allow you time to get away from the unit and make use of the hospital facilities. We make every effort to to not keep you waiting too long.

The average time spent in the unit is four to six hours, although this may be longer for some procedures or complex tests.

How to refer

Referrals are usually made to us via:

GP
Urgent care entre
Emergency department
Inpatient ward for an earlier supported discharge home as part of your enhanced recovery programme

Your referral will be reviewed by our clinical team. You will then be contacted by a member of our team to confirm the date and time you should attend your appointment.