Same day emergency care
Contact
- Charing Cross Hospital
- 020 3311 5144 (Reception) 020 3313 0734 (Referrals)
- St Mary’s Hospital
- 020 3312 3196 (Reception) 020 3312 3197 (Referrals)
Visitor Information
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Our same day emergency care (SDEC) services provide same-day review for patients with urgent or emergency health problems without the need for attendance in A&E or, where possible, hospital admission. We offer easy access to diagnostic tests and review by doctors and advanced clinical practitioners in one place, providing a seamless experience for patients. Appropriate patients can be referred directly to our units at Charing Cross and St Mary’s hospitals. Our same day emergency care service provides care for patients with a number of presumed conditions who are stable and mobile.
Conditions we treat
Presumed conditions that can be reviewed and treated in our AEC units include:
- abscesses
- cellulitis
- deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- ear, nose and throat conditions including tonsillitis and Bell's palsy
- first fits
- giant cell arteritis (GCA)
- hyperemesis gravidarum
- iron infusion
- low risk chest pain
- low risk GI bleed
- low risk head injury
- low risk pulmonary embolism
- lower respiratory tract infections (LRT)
- painless jaundice
- pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO)
- red hot joint
- renal colic
- stable pyelonephritis
- transient loss of consciousness (TLOC pathway)
- upper GI bleed
Clinics
Ambulatory emergency care at Charing Cross Hospital
Address
AEC unit
Ground floor
North block
Charing Cross Hospital
Fulham Palace Road
London W6 8RF
Hours
Monday through Friday: 08.00 to 22.00
Saturday through Sunday: 08.00 to 20.00
Contact
Phone: 020 3313 0734
Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) at St Mary’s Hospital
Address
Same Day Emergency Care unit (SDEC)
Ground Floor Paterson Building
St Mary’s Hospital
South Wharf Road
London W2 1NY
Hours
Monday through Friday: 08.00 to 22.00
Saturday through Sunday: 08.00 to 20.00
Contact Phone: 020 3312 3196
Meet the team
Clinical lead
Matron
Georgie Curtin
Charing Cross Hospital
Deputy matron
Lian Tan
St Mary’s Hospital
Deputy matron
Apostolos Bampoulis
Patient information
When you arrive at the unit, see the receptionist there – they will book you in to the department and tell you what will happen next.
Within 45 minutes, you can expect to be seen by the assessment nurse, who will record your observations and vital signs and discuss your condition and pain level with you. As part of this assessment, the nurse will discuss any allergies you may have.
If appropriate, the nurse will organise tests or scans such as an ECG or x-ray, and you will be sent to the diagnostic department before seeing the doctor. The nurse may also provide intravenous (into the vein or IV) drug treatment if appropriate.
After diagnostic tests are completed, you will return to AEC or SDEC. The nurse may discuss your condition with a specialist team and you may receive treatment. Alternatively, when you return to the AEC or SDEC units, you may be examined by the doctor, who will determine your course of treatment and refer you to specialists if appropriate.
After you see the doctor, you will have a clear plan for your next steps. You may be sent home, a follow-up appointment may be scheduled, or you may be admitted to hospital if appropriate.
Our hospitals are teaching hospitals, so medical or nursing students may be present for some consultations. If you do not wish to have them in the room please let the nurse or doctor know and the students will be asked to step outside.
Refer to this service
GPs
Local GPs can refer patients with a wide range of presumed conditions directly to our ambulatory emergency care units, providing patients are stable and mobile.
Our AEC opening hours are as follows:
Monday through Friday: 08.00 to 22.00
Saturday through Sunday: 08.00 to 20.00
To refer a patient, call the relevant AEC unit.
St Mary's Hospital SDEC - 020 3312 3197 (referrals), 23196 (reception)
Ground Floor, Paterson building, St Mary's Hospital.
Charing Cross AEC - 020 3313 0734 (referrals)
Ground floor, Pilot Wing, Access via Emergency Department entrance. Charing Cross Hospital.
Patients who have been referred to our AEC must present at A&E reception, where they will be directed to the AEC unit. Patients cannot self-refer to AEC.
Secondary care
Trust clinicians may also refer to this service using the phone numbers above.