Ambulatory Care Centre (ACC)

The Ambulatory Care Centre (ACC)  treats patients who have been directed through from Accident & Emergency or as early discharges from the assessment units or medical wards in NGH.

If patients are mobile and have specific conditions they may be sent to the ACC rather than having to wait in the emergency department.

The ACC is also designed to help achieve early discharge whereby patients in the assessment areas may be discharged early and return to the ACC to have subsequent treatment and/or investigations, which may have required them to stay as an inpatient otherwise. This is preferable, as evidence exists which suggests that patients who are recovering will do so more effectively, if supported in their own home. The ACC will provide this support. 

The Medical on-call Consultant retains clinical responsibility for the referred patients, and acts as the filter for GP referrals, effectively fulfilling our approach of right place, right time, right treatment.

The Pathways in use at the moment are for:

• Cardiac Chest Pain
• Cellulitis
• First Fit
• Painless Jaundice
• Pulmonary Embelism (PE)
• Pleural Effusion
• Subsequent Fit
• Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)
• Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)
• Upper GI Bleed

This list will be expanded as activity grows and the scope evolves.

This is run in conjunction with what is effectively an early discharge process, whereby patients in the assessment areas may be discharged early, and return to the ACC to have subsequent treatment and/or investigations which may have required them to stay as an inpatient otherwise.