A-Z of Services
Ambulatory emergency care
- Service Contact: 0208 401 3000 extension 3277
- Address: Croydon University Hospital 530 London Road, Croydon, CR7 7YE
- Reception hours: Monday to Friday 09:00am to 17:00pm, excluding Bank Holidays
About us
The service is a one-stop acute medical day care unit for urgent ambulatory patients referred by their GP.
The Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit (AECU) initially offered specific pathway driven care although with improvement, the service is delivering and accepting other medical conditions referred from primary care.
Find out more about service including information on how to refer and list of consultants
Service overview
Currently we see and treat in excess of 800 patients per month in the unit with safe discharge back to the community or further follow up within the unit preventing unnecessary hospital admission or Emergency Department attendance.
The service consistently receives considerable praise from patients, staff and external visitors including representatives from the NHS England and Emergency Care Improvement Programme (ECIP). A favourable Friends and Family test has evidenced our view that patients appreciate the speed and comprehensive nature of the service. The AECU has outperformed expectation and we continue to examine innovative changes for further development.
We treat
A consultant-led team assesses and treats patients that require urgent medical review without the need for a hospital stay, including conditions such as:
- DVT
- Cellulitis
- Low risk pulmonary embolism
- Any patient with medical problem who are ambulant and that their clinical needs can be addressed within the unit
Referral criteria
Patients do not self-refer to this service, but can be referred to it by their GP or emergency care.
Patients that are mobile and able to arrange their own transport should be referred direct to this service to avoid the accident and emergency department and be discharged home the same day.
Direct telephone communication with Ambulatory consultant is essential for advice on suitability of a referral to ambulatory care or other Croydon services.
Contact information
Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit (AECU) telephone extension: 0208 401 3000 extension 4578
Croydon University Hospital, 530 London Road, Croydon, CR7 7YE
How to refer
The service is a one-stop acute medical day care unit for urgent ambulatory patients referred by their GP.
The Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit (AECU) initially offered specific pathway driven care although with improvement, the service is delivering and accepting other medical conditions referred from primary care.
Service overview
Currently we see and treat in excess of 800 patients per month in the unit with safe discharge back to the community or further follow up within the unit preventing unnecessary hospital admission or Emergency Department attendance.
The service consistently receives considerable praise from patients, staff and external visitors including representatives from the NHS England and Emergency Care Improvement Programme (ECIP). A favourable Friends and Family test has evidenced our view that patients appreciate the speed and comprehensive nature of the service. The AECU has outperformed expectation and we continue to examine innovative changes for further development.
We treat
A consultant-led team assesses and treats patients that require urgent medical review without the need for a hospital stay, including conditions such as:
- DVT
- Cellulitis
- Low risk pulmonary embolism
- Any patient with medical problem who are ambulant and that their clinical needs can be addressed within the unit
Referral criteria
Patients that are mobile and able to arrange their own transport should be referred direct to this service to avoid the accident and emergency department and be discharged home the same day.
Direct telephone communication with Ambulatory consultant is essential for advice on suitability of a referral to ambulatory care or other Croydon services.
Ambulatory emergency care is open Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) from 9am to 6pm.
During out-of-hours and at weekends patients should be directed to accident and emergency or if clinically indicated to the on call registrar on bleep 782.
How to refer
GPs must telephone the consultant ahead of sending a patient to discuss possible patient referral (Monday to Friday 09:00am to 18:00pm).
Tel: 07786125350 (for GP use only)
Contact information
Ambulatory Mobile: 07786125350 (Monday to Friday 09:00am to 18:00pm) (for GP use only)
Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit (AECU) telephone extension: 0208 401 3000 extension 4578
(In event of no access to AECU mobile can bleep 707 via switch board) (for GP use only)
Croydon University Hospital, 530 London Road, Croydon, CR7 7YE
Consultants
Dr Reza Motazed, Clinical Lead for Acute Care and Edgecombe Unit
Dr Ashok Iyer, Clinical Lead for AECU
Dr Sajid Chaudhry, Clinical Lead for RAMU
Dr Panayiotis Theofanoyiannis
Dr Elena Karnovitch
Dr Manu Prakash
Dr Hisham Nizar
Dr Srikanth Akunuri
Dr Suzannah Wilson
Senior Nursing Team
Cathie Woods, Lead Nurse Unit Manager
Tracy Dickie
Jacquie Clarke
Clinicians
Substantive Consultants:
Dr. Srikanth Akunuri
Dr. Ashok Iyer
Dr. Elena Karnovitch
Dr. Reza Motazed
Dr. Hisham Nizar
Dr. Manu Prakash
Dr. Suzannah Wilson
Locum Consultant:
Dr. Sajid Chaudhry
Senior Nurses - AMU & Edgecombe Unit:
Sinead Lynch – Matron AMU & Edgecombe Unit
Cathie Woods – Edgecombe Unit Manager
Sheila Oliver - Senior Sister (AMU)
Annete Mugiraweza - Senior Sister (RAMU)
Tracey Dickie - Senior Nurse Practitioner (AECU)
Paula McCauley - Senior Sister (ACE Unit)