Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU)

Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU)
Level 4 (Main Block)
Torbay Hospital
Lowes Bridge
Torquay TQ2 7AA

Tel: 01803 654139

Services

The Emergency Assessment Unit is an admissions unit for patients arriving at hospital who might need to be kept in for treatment.

GP referrals

Patients arriving at the unit after being referred to hospital by their GP will normally be seen by the admitting doctor within an hour, to take their history, examine them, set investigations in progress and initiate treatment.

Your stay on the unit will be short-term. You will be reviewed by the admitting Consultant and a decision made on appropriate further management. You will either be:

  • transferred to the appropriate unit or ward, or
  • operated on in the emergency theatre,
  • transferred to a community hospital,
  • discharged to a nursing or residential home,
  • discharged home.

Your GP will be informed if it is likely that you will return home and need their services within 24 hours (48 hours at weekends) or will be transferred to a community hospital.

Patients not transferred before midnight will normally stay overnight in the unit and be transferred by the next morning.

Patient self-referrals

Patients who arrive as emergencies at the Emergency Department (A&E) after calling 999 will be triaged (assessed and prioritised) and treated in resuscitation if necessary. If a hospital admission is likely, they will be transferred to the Emergency Assessment Unit for investigations and care. Otherwise, they will be treated in the Emergency Department (A&E) and discharged.

Yellow Folders

GPs are asked to ensure that Yellow Folders accompany patients when they are sent into hospital. If you have a Yellow Folder at home and you are ever brought into hospital, it’s a good idea to make sure it can easily found and brought in with you. Staff at the hospital will then be able to access the information in the folder about your other care and be able to inform your key workers of your progress. When you are ready to return home, the hospital staff will be able to update your folder, to take back with you. Don’t worry if you don’t have a Yellow Folder – only some people who have needed a lot of healthcare have them.