The acute medical unit (AMU) is located on the ground floor of East Surrey Hospital, near the emergency department, and offers a 24 hour comprehensive acute medical service with a dedicated team of nurses and consultants.
AMU has 33 beds and 7 assessment bays and provides immediate assessment and treatment. Patients can be referred to the AMU from the Emergency Department, or direct from their GPs, or from walk-in centres such as those at Crawley, Caterham Dene and Horsham Hospitals.
Acute stroke patients should be admitted directly to the hospital’s stroke unit, and acute heart conditions go direct to the coronary care unit. Elderly patients, aged 75 and over, needing short term treatment are triaged to Capel Ward, either from the emergency department or AMU.
The maximum length of stay in the AMU is 72 hours. Within that time, patients are given initial treatment and then either allowed home with planned outpatient care (if necessary) to a SASH specialist clinics, or admitted to a ward.
For GPs
GPs can contact the AMU, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Phone 01737 768 511 and ask for the accepting medical specialist registrar.
I wanted to say thank you for looking after my sister so well. She was admitted to the Acute Medical Unit yesterday in a bad state and all the staff were very impressive - very calm, professional and sympathetic even when she was stressed and at times un co-operative.