Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC)

We aim for our patients to be investigated, assessed, diagnosed and discharged on the same day.

The Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit is in Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and the Ambulatory Emergency Care (AEC) unit is in Cheltenham General Hospital. Both units provide same day assessments and treatment, removing the need for you to be admitted.

Gloucestershire Royal SDEC

Opening Times

Medical SDEC GRH is open 7 days a week and provides a service between 8am and 11pm, but does not currently provide an overnight service.

Location

SDEC is in Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, sign posted as SDEC-Medicine. The unit is located on the first floor of the main outpatient department, using the Atrium entrance.

What to expect?

Before being asked to attend SDEC, you will have been assessed by your GP or another health care provider, who decided you are well enough not to be admitted into our Emergency Department. We are not a walk-in service and this is why you have been given an arrival time. Giving patients a time to arrive helps with the flow of patients throughout the unit throughout the day. Please note that this is not an appointment time.

We aim for you to be assessed by nursing staff within 45 minutes of your arrival in the unit. You will have initial investigations done such as blood tests, ECG and vital signs (blood pressure, temperature etc). Patients will be seen in order of their arrival but occasionally, a patient may arrive who is very unwell and needs to be seen quickly. The average length of stay in the unit is between 4 to 6 hours but this can vary. We aim to carry out all your tests and treatment on the same day but sometimes this is not appropriate and you will need a follow-up appointment.

Patients may require a return visit to either of our Medical SDEC following initial assessment, or follow-up care from their GP. Patients should expect to be cared for in a newly refurbished clinical environment, but where safe to do so patients will be asked to kindly wait in the waiting area. The waiting area for CGH SDEC is located on the external corridor.

Food and Drink

SDEC has limited hot and cold drink facilities (assuming you have not been asked to avoid eating and drinking in preparation for treatment). At midday and early evening, a small supply of sandwiches is brought to the unit for our patients. There are shops, a canteen and vending machines in both hospitals which have a variety of snacks, meals and drinks.

Cheltenham General AEC

This is our Medical SDEC provision based within Cheltenham General Hospital (CGH). This service is primarily run by Advanced Nursing and Allied Health Professionals, who provide timely assessment and treatment to patients with the overarching aim of preventing hospital admission where safe to do so.

Opening Times

SDEC at CGH runs a service over 5 days, excluding bank holidays, operating between the hours of 8am and 8pm.

Contact number: 0300 422 3618

Location

The simplest way to access this service is from the College Road entrance. It's located on the right-hand side of the corridor upon entering the hospital immediately after the Emergency Department and is clearly signed.

Further information regarding this service can be found here