Elderly patients can now avoid unnecessary and lengthy waits at Antrim Area Hospital Accident and Emergency Department as a result of a new Direct Assessment Unit (DAU).
Staff in the DAU can now give advice to GPs and assess general medicine, nephrology, cardiology and diabetes patients, as well as frail elderly people who require a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA).
GPs can speak directly to medical staff and refer patients for treatment and care in the Unit, as an alternative to them having to go to the Emergency Department.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service can also refer directly to DAU.
DAU is located in the old emergency department and consists of flexible clinical space for trolleys and chairs depending on patient need and also facilities to care for patients who require isolation.
An initial assessment is carried out by nursing staff and then a doctor sees all patients and a plan of care is developed for them. Patients are either treated and discharged or stabilised and referred to the appropriate ward.
Last month, 183 of the 270 people seen were treated and discharged while 85 were admitted into the hospital and two people were transferred to other services. The DAU includes staff from a range of areas such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers.
The DAU is open from 9am until 8pm (patients arriving before 6.00pm) Monday to Friday.
Patients that do not need to be seen urgently on that day, can also be referred to a Rapid Access Medical Clinic where they are given an appointment to attend the next day at a specific time.
The DAU is part of a wider programme of modernisation and reform by the Northern Trust to develop alternative paths into hospital and to improve care for all patients and clients.
If you have a story or want to send a photo or video to us please contact the Derry Now editorial team. Between 9am and 5pm Monday to Sunday please call 028 7129 6600 for Derry City stories or 028 7774 3970 for County Derry stories. Between 5pm and midnight please call or text 07825 711978. Or you can email john.gill@derrynews.net at any time.