New name and new home for medical assessment service

Lindsay McKenna, senior sister AMU; Tracy Shaw, clinical matron AMU; Mary Thorpe, medical secretary A&E, Vanessa Kenny, ENP A&E and Stuart Hook, A&E porter

A new unit for acutely ill medical patients at The Royal Oldham Hospital has been given the thumbs up from staff and patients.

The acute medical unit or AMU opened to patients on 14 December, following the transfer of the service which used to be called MAU, and was housed on wards F9 and F10 at the hospital.

Now residing on the ground floor within the new £44m women and children’s development, the AMU boasts a much bigger unit with improved facilities for patients and staff.

Clinical matron Tracy Shaw is the manager of the AMU at The Royal Oldham Hospital. She said: “We have had some really positive reactions to the new unit from our staff, which I am sure our patients will echo. As this is a purpose built AMU, myself, the AMU lead consultant Dr Shubhra Pradhan, and clinical director Dr Nick Gili, have all been involved in discussions with the architects right from the start to design the right facility for the service, for our staff and our patients.

“There are smaller bays and multiple single rooms on the unit which will ensure single sex accommodation, along with increased privacy and dignity for all patients.”

The 48 beds are split into eight four-bedded bays, all with shower and toilet facilities, and 16 single ensuite rooms.

The unit also comprises a large seated reception area and a smaller adjacent meeting room, along with offices for the AMU consultants and matron, and a large doctors’ hub for the junior medical staff to work from.

Patients treated on the AMU are acutely ill adult medical patients who have either presented in the emergency department or have been referred directly by their GP. Around 14,000 patients a year are assessed, treated and stabilised on the AMU, with most patients discharged within 12-24 hours. Some will then be admitted on to general medical or speciality wards such as cardiology or respiratory medicine for ongoing treatment, and other short stay patients will remain on the AMU for up to 72 hours, before being discharged home.

Adjacent to the AMU is the medical treatment unit (MTU) which opens on 21 December - this has eight trolley bays and is an ambulatory emergency care area. MTU receives patients who are referred from A&E or primary care for same day assessment and investigation, much like a day case unit for medical patients. The MTU operates 12 hours a day, seven days a week and is run by advanced nurse practitioners supported by the AMU consultants.

Over 115 nurses, doctors and support staff have transferred onto the new unit.

Dr Suresh Chandran, AMU consultant and training programme director for acute medicine, North West Deanery, said: “I am impressed by the fact that the acute medical unit is very bright, spacious and welcoming. We are planning to implement innovative ways of working which would further improve the quality of care provided to our patients, and also enable our staff members to have an enjoyable experience in the unit.”

Vanessa Kenny, emergency nurse practitioner in A&E, who visited the unit during an open afternoon, said: “The AMU has a warm, welcoming and friendly atmosphere which will benefit both patients and staff. A pleasant environment leads to happy staff and happy patients!”