Write a commentThe new Direct Assessment Unit at Daisy Hill Hospital is now taking suitable referrals directly from GPs.
The Direct Assessment Unit was one of the proposals agreed through the Daisy Hill Pathfinder Project to help sustain and develop unscheduled care services for the Newry and Mourne population.
The Unit opened at the beginning of February with a number of services moving in from other parts of the hospital – the Day Clinical Centre, Older People’s Assessment Unit and the Clinical Decision Unit.
The Unit’s Ambulatory Team of Nurses and Medics is now in place and are offering diagnostics, observation and treatment for patients who do not need life-saving Emergency Care but do require urgent medical attention.
Welcoming this final stage of the £1million project, Director of Acute Services for the Southern Trust, Esther Gishkori said: “We are delighted to have reached the final stage of this development and to see our Ambulatory service up and running.
“We have had a particularly busy winter this year and indeed due to our growing population and rising demand, our hospitals are now busy all year round. The opening of the Direct Assessment Unit is a welcome addition to the range of unscheduled care services we can now offer for patients. Located next to the Emergency Department and Diagnostics, we hope that the Unit will free up space and staff time within the ED and make sure that more patients receive the right care in a more timely way.
“The Ambulatory Team can treat patients for a range of symptoms including lower respiratory tract infections, urosepsis, renal colic, pulmonary embolism, DVT and non-specific chest pain.
“We are now working closely with our GP colleagues and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to encourage suitable referrals and to make sure that we can all get the best out of this new service for Newry and Mourne patients.”
Patients will be referred to the Direct Assessment Unit if appropriate through the Emergency Department, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service or by their GP.
