Richmond Acute Medical Unit
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 disease. Almost all acute medical inpatients at St George’s Hospital are admitted through the Richmond Acute Medical Unit (Richmond AMU). Patients present either through direct referral from our Emergency Department, or from their General Practitioner (GP). Patients spend the first 24 – 48 hours of their inpatient stay on the AMU whilst their clinical condition is stabilised and urgent investigations and procedures are coordinated – following which they are either discharged to recuperate at home or transferred to another speciality medical ward for further inpatient care.
The Richmond AMU is based on the ground floor of St James Wing. The specialty wards that we work most closely with include Allingham (gastroenterology), Amyand (acute senior health unit – ASHU), Marnham (respiratory), and Rodney Smith (diabetes, endocrinology and hypertension) wards, (3rd floor of St James Wing) – and Caesar Hawkins ward (4th floor of Lanesborough Wing). Each ward is staffed by dedicated multidisciplinary teams, serving primarily the local residents of Wandsworth, Merton and Lambeth.
The AMU has 58 inpatient beds, through which between 30-50 patients are admitted in each 24 hour period. The unit is extremely busy as the vast majority of inpatient investigations are organised. Discharge coordination commences from the time of admission, through the engagement of our Social, Therapies and Rehabilitation (STAR) team. To visitors, it can often appear hectic – but through carefully coordinated team-working and mutual respect, we manage to maintain a constant flow of patients through the hospital and back home where possible. Every member of our team plays an important role in keeping our AMU working.
The Richmond AMU is divided into:
- Ambulatory Assessment Area (AAA) – hosts all clinics associated with the AMU(Acute Medical Clinic (AMC), Cellulitis & DVT clinics, Diabetes Pitstop clinic, Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) clinic and Frequent Attenders clinic).
- Acute Dependency Unit (ADU) – an 8-bedded (including 2 siderooms) inpatient area providing higher-dependency care for patients who are very unwell.
- Richmond Main ward – 5 single-sex bays A-E, each with 5 beds and 2 siderooms – 35 beds total
- Richmond Annexe – 2 bays F-G, 5 siderooms – 15 beds total
You will be looked after by a multidisciplinary team of nurses, therapists and doctors who are highly experienced in caring for patients with acute medical conditions.
Children are allowed to visit the ward dependent on age and condition of patient, please contact the Matron or Ward Manager before visiting with young children.
Richmond AMU Contact numbers
Main ward reception: 020 8725 3143
Patient flow coordinator: 020 8725 1148
Extension numbers:
Main ward nurses station: 3143 / 3299 / 3461
ADU: M-4294 | F- 4295
A Bay: 4308
B Bay: 4303
C Bay: 4306
D Bay: 4307
E Bay: 4297
Annexe (F&G Bays): 6080 / 6082 / 6083
AMU Virtual Clinic
Outstanding results following a patient admission to the Richmond AMU may be followed up in the innovative AMU Virtual Clinic, which is consultant-led and supported by a specialist registrar. We strive to ensure a timely response to patient results – without the need for patients to attend an outpatient appointment. A letter documenting the outcome of the virtual clinic is sent to both the GP and patient as a standard.
This clinic runs twice-weekly from 09.00-12.30 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
Enquiries regarding the AMU virtual clinic (Tuesday and Thursday mornings) may be made through our AMU Secretaries, on 0208 266 6092
AMU Secretaries Contact details
Phone: 0208 266 6092
Fax: 020 8725 0341
Key Staff
Consultant Clinicians
- Dr Jane Evans – AMU Lead Consultant, Acute & Respiratory Medicine
- Dr Joao Albuquerque – Acute Medicine & Nephrology
- Dr Nicholas Annear – Acute Medicine & Nephrology
- Dr Stephan Brincat – Acute Medicine & Nephrology
- Dr Indranil Chakravorty – Acute Medicine, Core Medical Trainee Programme Director
- Dr Catherine Cosgrove – Acute Medicine & Infectious Diseases
- Dr Vanessa Elliott – Acute Medicine & Intensive Care Medicine
- Dr Clare Higgens – Acute Medicine & Rheumatology
- Dr Lila Mayahi – Acute Medicine & Clinical Pharmacology
- Dr Nicola Neary – Acute Medicine, Diabetes & Endocrinology
- Dr Rohit Raj – Acute Medicine
- Dr Sharvanu Saha – Acute Medicine, Diabetes & Endocrinology
- Dr Clare Shoults – Acute Medicine & Medical Education
- Dr Joe Wang – Acute Medicine & Nephrology
Social Therapies & Rehabilitation (STAR) Team lead
Lead Ward Clerk
- Sarah-Jane Farrelly
AMU Secretaries
- Sarah Goodby
- Rebeccah Annoh
Ward links
- Ambulatory Assessment Area (AAA)
- Allingham ward
- Amyand ward
- Caesar Hawkins ward
- Marnham ward
- Rodney Smith ward
AAA/Richmond AMU Location, Ground Floor, St James’ Wing,
Location
Ground floor, St James Wing, St George's Hospital
Other facilities
Showers
Baths
Toilets
Visitor Toilets
Laptops and mobile phones may be brought into the ward but the Trust can not be held responsible for your belongings. We recommend leaving valuables at home.
