Telephone calls.
It is helpful if telephone enquiries are kept to a minimum, some families find it useful to nominate one person to telephone the unit and then inform other family members.
Comments
We value your comments on your experience of the care you received whilst with us. Working together can help us to continue to offer high standards of care to all our patients.
The EAU Team
Draft 3 08/07
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Directions to EAU.
Visitors should enter the hospital site at entrance 4.
Entry through the Out patients entranceturn right toA/E reception follow signs o Minor Injuries. Turn right then immediately left then left again, EAU is on the right.
Entry through the Claydon Wing (Maternity)-turn leftfollow the corridor round and EAU is on the right.
Information leaflet
Welcome to
The Emergency Assessment Unit
(EAU)
At Stoke MandevilleHospital
Tel 01296 316504
01296 316505
Fax 01296 316344
The EAU is an area for assessing both medical and surgical patients in a mixed sex environment
This leaflet aims to provide some information for patients, carers and relatives about what to expect on your visit to our Emergency Assessment Unit
What you can expect to happen whilst you are cared for in the EAU
You may have been seen by your GP and referred to us, or you may have arrived in A/E and been referred.
Either way you will be greeted on arrival by a member of staff.
A nurse will then take some details including a medical history and undertake an initial assessment which will include taking your blood pressure temperature and pulse.
The nurse may then commence further investigations which may include taking a blood sample and recording an ECG (heart tracing), depending on your presenting complaint.
You will be seen by a Doctor. How long you may have to wait will depend on clinical priority of other patients in the unit and on the wards. The staff in EAU will keep you informed, but please do not hesitate to ask if you require information.
We advise you to refrain from eating, drinking or taking medication until advised to do so by a nurse or doctor.
As the unit is not designed for long stays we ask that you keep personal property to basic essentials.
What will happen to you next?
A doctor will examine you. At this point further investigations may be ordered. For example x-rays and scans. Some specialist tests may take longer to arrange.
The doctor will make a decision to either admit you to a ward, where your care will continue, or keep you in the EAU for further observation /and or investigations or will discharge you to the care of your GP.
Moving to a ward
Once the decision has been made to admit you to a ward, you will be advised where that will be, either at Stoke Mandeville or High WycombeHospital.
Because we are an assessment unit with high numbers of patients the time of your move could be at any time during the 24hour period.The wards will ensure your care is continued whenever your move happens.
Discharge home
If you are discharged please discuss your transport arrangements with your nurse. The hospital does not normally provide transport, but may do so in certain circumstances.
Visiting.
We would like to ask that the number of visitors per patient be kept to a minimum as this is an emergency area with limited space. It is not advisable to bring young children to visit.
We also ask for no flowers to be brought into the unit for infection control reasons.