Acute Medical Unit opens

06 August 2007

A brand new Acute Medical Unit (AMU) opened at Chelsea and Westminster on Monday 6 August.

A brand new Acute Medical Unit (AMU) opened at Chelsea and Westminster on Monday 6 August.

The AMU, which is located on the site of the old Frances Burdett Ward, includes 21 inpatient beds and a five-trolley assessment area to provide specialist care for adult patients with a wide range of medical conditions.

It is staffed by a dedicated team of nurses, doctors, therapists, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals so that patients can access the most appropriate treatment as quickly as possible – Charge Nurse Steve Burwell is the Ward Manager.

Narinder Liddar, Project Manager for the development of the AMU, says: “The AMU has a discreet relatives’ room, a therapy area to provide rapid access to therapies, a treatment room for outpatient assessments and a treadmill to assess patients with suspected heart problems.

“The five-trolley assessment area will be open from 8am to 8pm to provide dedicated care for patients who require assessment before clinicians decide whether or not they need to be admitted to hospital.”

There is a dedicated phone line so that patients can be referred directly to the AMU by their GP or by staff in the hospital’s Emergency Department.

Dr Gary Davies, Lead Consultant for the AMU, explains: “Our aim is to provide a self-contained rapid assessment unit so that patients’ care is well co-ordinated leading to early diagnosis, prompt treatment and earlier discharge from hospital as appropriate.

“The treadmill is a good example of how we can improve treatment for medical patients by concentrating staff expertise and technological resources in this area.

“If patients come to the AMU with chest pain, the treadmill can help us diagnose if their heart is under strain and define their risks so that we can decide whether they require further emergency investigation or if they can be seen as outpatients.”

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George Vasilopoulos