About us

Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) provides urgent assessment, diagnosis and treatment and can organise for you to receive follow up with a specialist hospital department if needed. This should mean you will receive care and treatment without having to be admitted to hospital.

You will be referred to SDEC by your GP or following a visit to the Emergency Department (ED). Most people will be seen on the day of the referral.

When will my appointment be?

Normally you will be referred straight to SDEC from ED on the same day.

If you are referred to SDEC ‘out of hours’ after your visit to ED, the SDEC team will phone you the following morning and arrange an appointment, usually for the same day. If the SDEC team doesn’t get in touch, please call them on 020 8934 3883

If you are referred to SDEC by your GP – they will tell you when you should attend.

Can I just turn up?

Please don’t just turn up at SDEC without an appointment, as you will not be seen.

What should I bring with me?

Please bring any paperwork you were given by your GP. Please bring a list of medications that you are currently taking.

You might want to bring something to eat and drink with you. There is a Costa café on site and refreshments can also be bought from the hospital canteen and drinks and snacks dispensers.

You might also want to bring something to read, or a device with headphones. The hospital does have free WIFI you can access. Please remember that it is your responsibility to keep your device safe. The hospital cannot take responsibility for devices that are lost or stolen.

What will happen when I arrive at SDEC?

Please check in at the SDEC reception.

You will then be seen by the Associate Practitioner or by the Staff Nurse.

Investigations will be carried out. These might include routine observations, blood tests, ECGs, chest X-ray or scans.

An Advanced Nurse Practitioner or a Doctor will assess you and decide further treatment and follow up plan with you.

How long will my visit to SDEC take?

The length of time you will need to spend in SDEC will depend on which investigations or treatments you need. The minimum amount of time is 1 hour. More complicated tests and treatments might require you to be with us all day.

If tests or treatments need to continue you may also need to come back the next day to complete them. In some cases you might need to be admitted to a ward and we can then ensure arrangements are made for your medications and personal belongings to be delivered to the hospital. We will keep you involved and discuss your plan of care with you all the way and ensure all follow up appointments are communicated with you.

What happens next?

You will be discharged from SDEC once you have completed your tests and treatment with us.

We may refer you back to your GP to continue your care or we may refer you to other specialists.

A discharge summary letter will be sent to your GP summarising what has happened and next steps in your care and treatment if this is needed. Please ask your GP for a copy of this letter.

Members of the SDEC team

  • Medical Consultants – take referrals from GPs and ED, and work alongside the team to provide specialist advice
  • Advanced Nurse Practitioners - educated at Masters Level in clinical practice. Make independent decisions in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of their patients.
  • Doctors – Junior Doctors will rotate in SDEC.
  • Staff nurse – carries out routine observations, organises investigations and gives medication if need.
  • Nurse Associate and Associate Practitioner – works alongside the Staff Nurse, performing the triage and organises investigations if required.
  • Receptionist – welcomes the patients on arrival and forwards the discharge summary letter to the GP.