New Same Day Emergency Care unit to open at Margate QEQM Hospital
Facility aims to improve patient care and reduce hospital admissions
A new Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit is set to open at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate next week.
This unit promises improved patient care by reducing corridor care and unnecessary hospital admissions.
The SDEC model allows acute specialists to efficiently assess, diagnose, and treat patients on their day of arrival, ensuring that they receive timely care without the need for hospital admission when clinically appropriate.
Jess Evans, interim medical director at QEQM, highlighted the benefits of the new unit, explaining that patients could be referred to SDEC treatment through various routes, including direct transfers from GPs, the ambulance service, or NHS 111.
Evans stated, "These units differ from emergency departments, which handle life-threatening conditions, and urgent treatment centres that offer walk-in care for minor injuries and illnesses."
The unit is expected to accommodate over 100 people daily, helping alleviate the pressure on the emergency department, which typically sees around 350 patients per day.
Dr. Des Holden, acting chief executive of East Kent Hospital Trust, expressed enthusiasm about the launch, seeing it as a milestone that offers a faster, more convenient alternative for patients to receive expert care and return home on the same day.
The development comes as part of a broader investment by NHS England, which has funded £28.95 million in similar units, including one due to open at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford in the coming weeks.
Health Minister Karin Smyth said: “Patients deserve timely care in the right setting, without facing an unnecessary hospital admission.
“This new Same Day Emergency Care unit will help more than 100 patients a day receive faster assessment, diagnosis and treatment, while easing pressures on the emergency department and tackling corridor care, delivering better care for communities across Kent.
“Through our 10 Year Capital Plan, we are continuing to invest in the buildings and facilities the NHS needs to deliver a health service fit for the future.”