A-Z of Services

Ambulatory emergency care

  • Service Contact: 0208 401 3000 extension 3277
  • Address: Croydon University Hospital 530 London Road, Croydon, CR7 7YE
  • Reception hours: Monday to Friday 09:00am to 17:00pm, excluding Bank Holidays

About us

The service is a one-stop acute medical day care unit for urgent ambulatory patients referred by their GP.

The Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit (AECU) initially offered specific pathway driven care although with improvement, the service is delivering and accepting other medical conditions referred from primary care.

Find out more about service including information on how to refer and list of consultants

Service overview

Currently we see and treat in excess of 800 patients per month in the unit with safe discharge back to the community or further follow up within the unit preventing unnecessary hospital admission or Emergency Department attendance.

The service consistently receives considerable praise from patients, staff and external visitors including representatives from the NHS England and Emergency Care Improvement Programme (ECIP). A favourable Friends and Family test has evidenced our view that patients appreciate the speed and comprehensive nature of the service. The AECU has outperformed expectation and we continue to examine innovative changes for further development.

We treat

A consultant-led team assesses and treats patients that require urgent medical review without the need for a hospital stay, including conditions such as:

  • DVT
  • Cellulitis
  • Low risk pulmonary embolism
  • Any patient with medical problem who are ambulant and that their clinical needs can be addressed within the unit

Referral criteria

Patients do not self-refer to this service, but can be referred to it by their GP or emergency care.

Patients that are mobile and able to arrange their own transport should be referred direct to this service to avoid the accident and emergency department and be discharged home the same day.

Direct telephone communication with Ambulatory consultant is essential for advice on suitability of a referral to ambulatory care or other Croydon services.

Contact information

Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit (AECU) telephone extension: 0208 401 3000 extension 4578

Croydon University Hospital, 530 London Road, Croydon, CR7 7YE

How to refer

The service is a one-stop acute medical day care unit for urgent ambulatory patients referred by their GP.

The Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit (AECU) initially offered specific pathway driven care although with improvement, the service is delivering and accepting other medical conditions referred from primary care.

Service overview

Currently we see and treat in excess of 800 patients per month in the unit with safe discharge back to the community or further follow up within the unit preventing unnecessary hospital admission or Emergency Department attendance.

The service consistently receives considerable praise from patients, staff and external visitors including representatives from the NHS England and Emergency Care Improvement Programme (ECIP). A favourable Friends and Family test has evidenced our view that patients appreciate the speed and comprehensive nature of the service. The AECU has outperformed expectation and we continue to examine innovative changes for further development.

We treat

A consultant-led team assesses and treats patients that require urgent medical review without the need for a hospital stay, including conditions such as:

  • DVT
  • Cellulitis
  • Low risk pulmonary embolism
  • Any patient with medical problem who are ambulant and that their clinical needs can be addressed within the unit

Referral criteria

Patients that are mobile and able to arrange their own transport should be referred direct to this service to avoid the accident and emergency department and be discharged home the same day.

Direct telephone communication with Ambulatory consultant is essential for advice on suitability of a referral to ambulatory care or other Croydon services.

Ambulatory emergency care is open Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) from 9am to 6pm.

During out-of-hours and at weekends patients should be directed to accident and emergency or if clinically indicated to the on call registrar on bleep 782.

How to refer

GPs must telephone the consultant ahead of sending a patient to discuss possible patient referral (Monday to Friday 09:00am to 18:00pm).

Tel: 07786125350 (for GP use only)

Contact information

Ambulatory Mobile: 07786125350 (Monday to Friday 09:00am to 18:00pm) (for GP use only)

Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit (AECU) telephone extension: 0208 401 3000 extension 4578

(In event of no access to AECU mobile can bleep 707 via switch board) (for GP use only)

Croydon University Hospital, 530 London Road, Croydon, CR7 7YE

Consultants

Dr Reza Motazed, Clinical Lead for Acute Care and Edgecombe Unit

Dr Ashok Iyer, Clinical Lead for AECU

Dr Sajid Chaudhry, Clinical Lead for RAMU

Dr Panayiotis Theofanoyiannis

Dr Elena Karnovitch

Dr Manu Prakash

Dr Hisham Nizar

Dr Srikanth Akunuri

Dr Suzannah Wilson 

Senior Nursing Team

Cathie Woods, Lead Nurse Unit Manager

Tracy Dickie

Jacquie Clarke

Clinicians

Substantive Consultants:

Dr. Srikanth Akunuri

Dr. Ashok Iyer

Dr. Elena Karnovitch

Dr. Reza Motazed

Dr. Hisham Nizar

Dr. Manu Prakash

Dr. Suzannah Wilson

Locum Consultant:

Dr. Sajid Chaudhry    
 

Senior Nurses  - AMU &  Edgecombe Unit:

Sinead Lynch –  Matron AMU  & Edgecombe  Unit

Cathie Woods – Edgecombe Unit Manager

Sheila Oliver - Senior Sister (AMU)

Annete Mugiraweza - Senior Sister (RAMU)

Tracey Dickie - Senior Nurse Practitioner (AECU)

Paula McCauley - Senior Sister (ACE Unit)