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.
Directions to EAU.
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
Visitors should enter the hospital site
at entrance 4.
Information leaflet
Welcome to
The Emergency Assessment
Unit
Entry through the Out patients
entrance turn right to A/E reception
follow signs o Minor Injuries. Turn right
then immediately left then left again,
EAU is on the right.
At Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Entry through the Claydon Wing
(Maternity)-turn left follow the corridor
round and EAU is on the right.
Tel 01296 316504
(EAU)
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
Discharge home
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 Wycombe
Hospital.
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.
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.