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About SDEC
The Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit provides urgent assessment and treatment.
It is open 7 days a week, 8am to 6pm.
SDEC carries out all the usual tests and treatment without having to admit patients into hospital. We can also arrange for follow-up care with specialist hospital teams.
Which patients are seen in SDEC
SDEC can only see patients who:
- have been sent from the Emergency Department (A&E)
- have been sent after being admitted to the Acute Assessment Unit (AAU)
- have been sent by a GP
- have been sent after calling an ambulance.
You cannot come to SDEC without being seen in one of these services first. Do not come to SDEC without an appointment. If you think you have a problem that can be dealt with by SDEC, speak to one of these services first.
Sent from the Emergency Department
If you are referred to SDEC by the Emergency Department (A&E), you might be sent straight round as soon as you have been assessed, or you may get some treatment or tests before being sent round.
During the day, when SDEC is open, you will either be:
- asked to walk around to SDEC straight away. You will then join the queue to be seen.
- asked to go home and given an appointment to come back to SDEC. The timing of the appointment will depend on whether we are waiting for the results of tests or scans.
If SDEC is closed, you will either be:
- given an appointment at SDEC for the next day
- asked to wait in the Emergency Department until SDEC opens. You will then join the queue to be seen. The order in which patients are seen is based on how urgently they need care and treatment.
Sent after speaking to GP
During SDEC opening hours, GPs can call us and give us your details. You will then be asked to attend SDEC straight away or the next morning, without an appointment. Your GP will give you a letter to bring with you and we will be expecting you.
Sent after calling an ambulance
During SDEC opening hours, ambulance staff can call us and give us your details. We may tell them to bring you straight to SDEC.
If you are taken to the Emergency Department (A&E) in an ambulance, the hospital staff may decide you can be sent straight to SDEC. In this case, the ambulance team will bring you to us.
If SDEC is closed, ambulance staff cannot speak to us and so you cannot be referred to us for care. Instead, you will be taken to the Emergency Department (A&E).
How long you will spend at SDEC
SDEC aims to see you the same day or the next day.
The time you spend in SDEC will depend on which tests or treatments you need. The minimum is 1 hour. More complicated tests and treatments might take all day.
You may need to come back to SDEC a few times on different days. SDEC will give you an appointment for these additional visits.
Unless you are eligible for hospital transport, you are expected to make your own way to hospital for any follow-up SDEC visits, even if you were originally brought in by ambulance. Please see the hospital website page on Patient Transport for further information about eligibility (including information about the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme).
When necessary, patients will be referred to other specialty clinics for further care.
What to bring with you
Please bring:
- any paperwork given to you by your GP, if applicable
- a list of any medicines you currently or have recently taken
- proof of eligibility for free prescriptions, if applicable
- hospital passport or similar ‘all about me’ document if you have one (for people with learning disabilities, autism, or dementia),
You are welcome to bring:
- something to distract you while you are waiting, such as something to read or a device with headphones. If you are bringing any electronic devices with you, it is your responsibility to keep these safe. The hospital has free Wi-Fi (connect with NHS Wi-Fi), though you cannot use it to stream TV or films.
- something to eat and drink. There are also cafes and a restaurant in the hospital to buy refreshments. These only take cards, not cash.
What happens at SDEC
When you arrive, register at reception. We will then assess you and you may have routine observations, blood tests, ECGs, X-rays or scans. We will then decide if further treatment or investigations are needed.
You will be discharged from SDEC once you have finished your investigations and treatment with us. You may need to attend SDEC a few times before we discharge you. We may refer you back to your own GP to continue your care, or you may be referred to other speciality clinics. This will be explained to you before you leave.
If we prescribe any medicines for you, you will need to collect these from the Boots Pharmacy in the main hospital building.
A letter, known as a ‘discharge summary’, will be sent to your GP explaining the treatment and care you had in SDEC. You should be given a copy of this as you leave. Ask for a copy if you have not been given one.
Contact information
Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC)