Emergency care trial aims to reduce overnight stays in hospital

The service, which will be piloted between November 18 and December 20, will see patients assessed, treated and discharged on the same day.

Traditionally, acute medical patients are admitted to a hospital ward and assessed by a consultant to decide what diagnostics or treatment they need.

Ambulatory care is based on the idea that some medical emergencies can be managed in an outpatient setting with the appropriate diagnostic and support services to hand.

The new service will be located in the acute medical unit and will be open Monday to Friday, from 8am to 5pm.

Consultant acute care physician Dr Srujan Ardhalapudi said: “Ambulatory care applies to some conditions that can be treated without the need for an overnight stay in hospital.

“Patients receive the same medical treatment they would previously have received as an inpatient.”

People will be referred to the unit by either their GP or staff in the accident and emergency department at the hospital. There will be six ambulatory emergency care chairs on the acute medical unit.

Once the pilot has been completed, the service will be reviewed.

Dr Ardhalapudi said: “The new unit is all about ensuring that medical emergency patients are managed in the most appropriate way.

“They will be seen by a senior clinician and decisions made quickly about their care. They will have fast access to diagnostics, ensuring treatment can be started immediately, which means they don’t have to stay in hospital overnight.”

Patients will have to meet specific criteria before they are referred to the service. These will include patients with low-risk pneumonias, cellulitis, deep vein thrombosis, non-cardiac chest pains, and people who have suffered first seizures.

Dr Ardhalapudi added: “It is about trying to reduce the number of emergency medical patients admitted to hospital, as low-risk patients can be managed as outpatients and discharged back to the comfort of their own home.

“Ultimately we aim to provide a fast, responsive service that helps patients get home quickly as we know that people would prefer to be in their own homes than in hospital.”

Meanwhile, it was confirmed yesterday that more than £2m of extra funding is being invested in Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust to help its two hospitals cope this winter.

NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group will spend £2.1m supporting urgent care services at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham.