Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC)

Patients can be referred to SDEC for treatment through various different routes, including:

• Streaming or triage in emergency departments (EDs)
• Direct referral from GPs
• Clinical navigator (coordinates referrals to acute medicine or general surgery)
• Referral from wards at PAHT
• Referral from speciality teams at PAHT
• Direct referral from NHS 111

Please note that attendance to SDEC is by referral/appointment only. This is to manage the flow of patients efficiently and ensure the unit can provide the services needed for all service users.

SDEC is able to provide the following types of treatments:

• Medical
• Surgical
• Urology
• Specialists such as respiratory and gastroenterology with prior arrangement from a specialist consultant

There are significant benefits associated with treating people through SDEC services, including:

• the ability for patients to be assessed, diagnosed and start treatment on the same day, improving patient experience and reducing hospital admissions
• avoiding unplanned and longer than necessary stays in hospitals, resulting in lower risk of infections and deconditioning for patients – you can read more about this here

On arrival to the unit, the receptionist will book you into the clinic and the nursing team will be notified of your arrival.

A nurse or healthcare support worker will undertake the assessment. You will be asked to explain your symptoms and the background to your condition. You may have already given this information to the referring team, but it is important that our SDEC team, now responsible for your care, clarify this information.

Our people may ask to you to wait whilst any tests or investigations are made. This could be blood tests, X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan or an MRI scan. All investigations require time for reports to be processed. Our teams will endeavour to keep you informed of any delays, but please ask if you have any questions or would like an update.

There are facilities inside the main hospital building including a Costa Coffee, Marks and Spencer Simply Food and the Alexandra Restaurant. Some investigation results may take several hours to come back. If this is the case, the nursing team will inform you and advise you to leave the department and return later. You are also welcome to stay in the unit and wait if you wish to do so.

Once the results from your tests and assessments are established, our nursing team will create a treatment plan for you, which will usually begin in the unit. Where possible, arrangements will be made for you to continue treatment at your place of residence. However, you may be booked to return to the unit for further treatments or in some circumstances you may be admitted to a ward for management.

At the end of your consultation, you will be given information on:

• Your condition
• Any further investigations that may be required
• Treatment options
• Follow up appointment, which you can book at the appointment desk

Once your care in SDEC is complete, the nursing team will let you know the next steps for your treatment before you leave, which may include returning to the unit.

Please do not hesitate to ask any member of the team if you have concerns or need further information. If they are unable to help, they will seek further advice for you.

Please contact switchboard on 01279 444455 or 111 for urgent matters. If you are unwell, please attend the Emergency Department.