Emergency and Urgent Care - The Ambulatory Emergency Care (AEC) Unit

Your appointment

EAU Consultant contact: ___________________________________________     

Patient date and time slot: _________________________________________     

Please could we ask that you arrive 5 minutes ahead of your appointment time.

In the interest and comfort of all our patients, where possible, could you please ensure that you have only 1 family member/ carer per patient.

Welcome to the Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit

We provide same day assessment, diagnosis and treatment for patients at Salford Royal Hospital. Most patients can go home the same day, depending on the outcome of their investigation.

We assess and treat many common conditions including blood clots (DVT), cellulitis, anaemia, chest infections and headaches. As we aim to complete your tests and common treatments within one visit, this may mean your stay is for several hours.

AEC has an additional 2 bays, covering Medical and Frailty Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC). These are Bay 6 - Medical SDEC and Bay 2 - Frailty SDEC.

The aim of these bays is to assess, treat and discharge the patient the same day following treatment. There may be follow-up arrangements made, but these are done on the day with the clinical team involved.

Referrals

You may be referred to AEC by:

• Your GP
• The Emergency Department (ED)
• The Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU)
• An Outpatient Clinic

What to expect from your visit

Arrival at AEC

On arrival to AEC, you will be greeted by a member of the nursing team, who will take your details and ask you to wait in the seating area.

You will usually have your vital signs checked, including blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation levels and temperature.

Medical review

You will be assessed by a doctor/advanced nurse practitioner (ANP)/physician associate (PA) or a specialist nurse, who will ask you questions about your symptoms and examine you.

They will need to know about any pre-existing medical conditions you may have and details of your current medications.

Depending on your condition, it may be necessary to undergo some diagnostic tests or be seen by specialist teams. If required and depending on your case, one or more of the following tests may be repeated:

• Blood tests
• ECG – an electrical heart trace where small sticky pads are used to measure the trace of your heart
• Xray – an examination of the appropriate part of your body such as chest, abdomen or joints
• CT scan - A computerised tomography scan uses x-rays to create a more detailed image of your body
• MRI Scan - A magnetic resonance image scan using magnetic fields to create images of your body
• Ultrasound - Sound waves are used to create an image of the area being examined, for example, the liver or kidneys
• Echocardiogram - A specialised ultrasound looking at your heart

Sometimes the results of tests may indicate that we need to refer you to a specialist outpatient clinic, for which an appointment will be arranged for you at a later date.

Alternatively, we may need to arrange to see you again in AEC for repeat tests, such as blood tests.

Test results

Where test results are available, we will discuss these with you on the day of your visit.

Occasionally we will phone you with results if they are not immediately available.

We will also write to your GP to ensure they know the results of your tests.

Treatment

We will discuss the results of your tests and any treatment you need. Any same day treatment will be provided in AEC.

You may be given a prescription for treatment to take home, or we may recommend that your GP starts treatment. If so, we will write to your GP to inform them of this, and you will also receive a copy.

Your appointment

You may be given a specific time to attend AEC, if so, please allow plenty of time to arrive, as you may have a test scheduled at this time.

We aim to see all our patients in a timely, manner but there may be a wait to be seen at busy times.

The amount of time you will spend with us depends on your condition and the tests you require, but the average stay is approximately 4-6 hours. You may wish to bring a book or mobile device with headphones to pass some time.

Where possible, refreshments will be provided at intervals during the day, though you may wish to use on site local shops and cafés.

Going home

Once you have completed your tests and treatment, we will let you know when you can be discharged home.

You will be asked to make your own way home and if there is a wait, we have a discharge lounge for your family and friends to collect you. If you have any difficulty arranging your journey home, please speak to a member of staff.

Very occasionally, we need to keep patients in hospital for further tests or treatment.

Where to find us

We are located within the Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU) in the Hope Building, next to the WHSmith shop at Salford Royal Hospital.

Enter the hospital through the main entrance (not through Emergency Department) and follow the signs to EAU.

The main entrance reception desk will be able to direct you to AEC.

We value your feedback

We constantly try to improve our services. We value all comments. Please complete a patient questionnaire before you leave.

If you have any questions, concerns or worries during your time with us, please speak to a member of staff who will be happy to help.

Contact us

Ambulatory Emergency Care (AEC) Telephone - 0161 607 4137
Salford Royal Hospital, Stott Lane, Salford M6 8HD.
Opening times: 24 hours a day