Brighton and Hove’s busiest hospital opened a new Medical Assessment and Treatment Unit today (Monday 18 May).
The new unit, at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Eastern Road, Brighton, is part of a plan to ease the pressure on the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department.
Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex, said: “A new medical unit has been created at the Royal Sussex County Hospital to improve the care of patients requiring urgent assessment and treatment but not necessarily admission into hospital.
“A Medical Assessment and Treatment Unit, which has opened today on the Emergency Floor of the hospital, combines the services previously provided by the Ambulatory Care Unit (ACU) and the Rapid Access Clinic for Older Patients (RACOP).
“The unit will provide a dedicated and specialised area for the rapid review and treatment of medical patients who need urgent care but do not necessarily need to be admitted into hospital so they can return home as quickly as possible.
“The aim of the unit is to improve patient experience, reduce the number of patients admitted to hospital unnecessarily and reduce the potential for overcrowding in the Emergency Department.”
Trust chief executive Matthew Kershaw said: “This is the first in a series of planned improvements, both on the Emergency Floor and beyond which, when they start to link together, will improve the flow of emergency patients through the hospital and the adverse impact this is currently having on our specialist and scheduled care services and patients.”
Unnecessary admissions, eh? Cue filtering by age and condition with some sent home to die off-site, on somebody else’s watch.
The pressure on resources will force this to happen.
What percentage of A&E patients are about substance abuse? Drugs & alcohol !
I was offered to go to ACU Centre was told the phone call I received could not attend because I was disabled and would require Hospital Transport. They then I could not attend because you meant to be able to walk in and out. I am mystified about this I need to know the result of my ultra scan that I had why in ACU Ward. Please advise Margaret Shuttle worth.