Ambulatory Assessment Area (AAA)
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The AMU/AAA team: Acute Medicine Awareness day
Acute medicine is the specialty concerned with the diagnosis, management and non-surgical treatment of unusual or serious diseases. In our Acute Medicine Ambulatory Assessment Area (AAA), we provide facilities to maximise treatment of emergency medical patients on the same day, without need for full admission. Our AAA is a 7-day service, that provides an innovative ambulatory care facility for medical patients. It is located in the Richmond Acute Medicine Unit (Richmond AMU), Ground Floor, St James’ Wing, at the main St George’s Hospital site in Tooting. The AAA is run by a team of four clinical nurse specialists (CNS), supported by two junior doctors and a small administrative team. The team is led by the AAA Consultant on-call each day (contacted via switchboard on bleep 7915).
We accept direct referrals from GPs, the Emergency Department, and our sister hospitals where appropriate. The AAA provides a number of dedicated clinics, including daily morning DVT and Cellulitis clinics (led by our CNS practitioners), a daily morning Acute Medicine Clinic (AMC), and specialist afternoon Diabetes pit-stop (Mondays), Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) (Tuesdays) and Frequent Attenders (Thursdays) clinics.
Our AAA constitutes six assessment bays, two assessment chairs and two clinic rooms, which allow for parallel clinics and treatments to take place in this versatile space. Common presentations include: post-biopsy recovery, transfusions, iv fluid replacement, outpatient iv antibiotics. Through our ambulatory service, we also liaise closely with our specialist colleagues in gastroenterology, endocrinology, diabetes, respiratory medicine, rheumatology, cardiology, neurology, acute oncology and renal medicine, as well as our Social Therapies and Rehabilitation (STAR) team. We also work to facilitate outpatient investigations, and facilitate safe early discharge with early outpatient follow-up.
Contact details
Ambulatory Assessment Area
020 8725 0202 (reception – clinic appointment queries only)
020 8725 0077/4309 (clinical area – no referrals )
FOR DIRECT GP REFERRALS contact AAA Consultant on-call:
020 8672 1255 option 2 Bleep 7915
AAA Secretaries:
Phone: 0208 266 6092
Fax: 020 8725 0341
Opening hours
Daily 08.00 - Midnight
Treatments
Richmond AMU offers the following clinics:
- Acute Medicine Clinic – suitable for patients who are felt to require urgent access to an acute medicine physician. It offers the advantage of avoiding emergency department waiting times and overnight hospital stays. This clinic runs daily.
- Diabetes Pitstop Clinic – a specialist clinic providing emergency appointments for patients who are experiencing difficulties in the management of their diabetic control who otherwise might require admission to hospital. This clinic runs twice a week and
- Acute Kidney Injury Clinic – a twice weekly urgent access clinic for patients with an acute kidney injury who are safe to be reviewed in an ambulatory setting.
- Frequent Attendees Clinic – offers a unique resource for patients who are frequently presenting to the emergency department or AMU with recurrent acute on chronicmedical problems.
Referrals
Referrals for the Acute Medicine Clinic, DVT and Cellulitis Clinics (Daily) and Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Clinic (Tuesdays) should be made by calling the AAA Consultant on-call on 020 8672 1255 option 2 Bleep 7915. GP & Clinicians' referral forms can be found here.
Referrals for the Diabetes Pitstop Clinic (Monday afternoons) and Frequent Attenders Clinic (Thursday afternoons) can be made in writing via fax to 0208 725 0341. GP & Clinicians' referral forms can be found here.
Enquiries regarding the AMU virtual clinic (Tuesday and Thursday mornings) may be made through our AMU Secretaries, Sarah and Rebeccah on 0208 266 6092
