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New unit to transform emergency care
A new state-of-the-art unit is set to transform how the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) assesses and treats emergency patients.
The acute assessment unit (AAU) is being built behind West Suffolk Hospital’s emergency department and is due to open in December.*
The AAU model is designed to support emergency patients that need observation, diagnosis and treatment, but who don’t need major emergency department care – for example, patients with chest pain who may need a heart monitor and clinical observation.
The goal of the AAU is to assess patients quickly; the unit will diagnose the patient’s condition, and wherever possible treat them the same day so they can return home with the help they need, like take-away medications. Having had observations and monitoring done on the unit, those patients who do need ongoing care in hospital can then be transferred to the right, specialist ward for their needs first time.
The unit, which contains assessment and monitoring trolleys and specialist chairs instead of hospital beds, will also help to ease pressure on the emergency department – leaving it to just care for those with major conditions, or minor injuries that can be treated quickly.
Patients attending the AAU will be seen by a multi-disciplinary team, from consultants and nurses to assistant nurse practitioners and physician associates, who all have quick and easy access to other services like diagnostics – meaning patients should have their diagnosis and treatment much faster than in the traditional emergency department set-up.
Chief operating officer Helen Beck said: “This unit is a fantastic development for our Trust, and will help to ensure that our patients get the right care they need first time. People will have quicker access to specialists when they need them, and be able to get the diagnosis and treatment they need to go home rather than stay in hospital.
“Prolonged hospital stay and bed rest can lead to loss of muscle power, strength and abilities in patients of any age, so we aim to get patients who are well enough to leave hospital home as soon as possible as it’s best for them and their recovery.”
The unit will be open 24/7, and will eventually support surgical patients as well as those who have been sent to hospital urgently by their GP.
Senior operations manager at WSFT, Debs Crelly, added: “This new unit will modernise the way that the Trust cares for its emergency patients.
“This kind of service is only possible when a wide range of teams come together. The unit will be a busy one and will treat patients with a huge range of conditions and illnesses, who all have different needs. Each day will be different and the staff within the unit will need a variety of clinical skills to make sure we’re supporting each patient.
“It’s a hugely exciting opportunity, and we still have a few nursing positions left for anyone who might be interested in joining us on this next step in our emergency care journey.”
If you’re interested in joining the team, please visit www.jobs.nhs.uk for more information and to apply.
* The unit will open under a phased plan, with the first phase due to be operational in December 2018. The full AAU is planned to be fully operational in summer 2019, when the ambulatory emergency care unit (already located elsewhere in the hospital) will also move to the join the new unit.
Staff, who will be working in the new acute assessment unit, training on advanced life support skills in the in the Siklos Centre for Clinical Skills and Simulation at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
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