Acute Admissions Unit (AAU)

It’s easy to refer patients with acute medical or surgical needs to our AAU:

• Step 1: Call the AAU
  GPs and consultants can call +44 20 3423 8999 to speak with our 24/7 AAU clinician about your patient’s case. If you’re a patient and think you need the AAU, contact your GP or find a GP.
• Step 2: Collect information
  Our team collects clinical and administrative information, screens for exclusion criteria and informs you immediately if your patient can be admitted.
• Step 3: Admissions process
  We liaise with you and your patient to ensure a smooth admissions process, including ambulance transport if needed.
• Step 4: Arrival at AAU
  We greet your patient on arrival and screen for COVID-19 with a rapid PCR test. From there, we admit your patient and begin diagnosing the issue and forming a treatment plan.
• Step 5: Stabilisation and next steps
  Whether a simple or complex issue, we aim to stabilise and discharge your patient or refer them to the appropriate in-house specialty team for onward care. We continuously update the referrer and the patient with progress updates.

Admission exclusions

We cannot admit patients:

• Who are under 18 years old.
• Who are pregnant at greater than 20 weeks’ gestation or with primary obstetric problems.
• With acute stroke or acute myocardial infarction (STEMI).
• With COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms.
• With primary psychiatric issues or in need of acute mental health intervention.

Anyone with a life-threatening condition, such as a heart attack or stroke, should go to the nearest accident and emergency department or call 999.

Acute Care: What to Expect

Highlights of our acute admissions unit include: 

• State-of-the-art facility: Our new 12-bed AAU features the latest technology. The unit is just steps from our intensive care unit (ICU) and close to all of our advanced medical and surgical wards. Every level of care is under one roof, resulting in prompt, streamlined care.
• Expert team: Our consultants have a broad range of experience, so they are ready to handle any acute or urgent medical condition. From general internal medicine and nephrology to haematology and surgical subspecialties, their combined experience connects your patient to the breadth of Cleveland Clinic London’s services.  
• Rapid assessment: Patients receive fast, thorough assessments in our AAU from highly skilled consultants. Advanced diagnostics and testing, combined with a full staff of on-site health professionals, help patients get the treatments — and the answers — they need promptly.
• 24/7 care: A doctor is on-site 24/7 to handle complications associated with postoperative care or chronic illnesses. An internal medicine consultant is also available round-the-clock to evaluate each patient’s condition.
• Seamless transition of care: We update referring GPs or consultants regularly on the status of your patient’s condition. AAU admissions may be up to 72 hours. We coordinate any transfers or onward outpatient care with each patient’s care team while overseeing every step of their treatment.

We offer a broad range of services in our AAU, including:

• 24/7 referral service and triage line for GPs and consultants.
• 24/7 access to a multidisciplinary team of consultants.
• Dedicated, in-house ambulance transport to our facility when necessary.
• Facilitation of referrals to our outpatient specialty clinics.
• On-site, state-of-the-art MRI and CT scanners, imaging services and laboratory tests, which include point-of-care testing for immediate results when indicated.
• Perioperative haemodialysis and renal services.
• Seamless transfer to our level 2 and level 3 ICU, with 24/7 care and an on-site ICU consultant.   
• Advanced digital systems to provide accurate, real-time information on patient progress and treatment plans.

Conditions We Treat in the AAU

Our AAU team provides rapid assessment, stabilisation and treatment for the following conditions:

• Diabetes and endocrinology-related complications.
• Frailty-related illnesses in older adults.
• Haematological conditions.
• Rheumatology conditions.
• Headaches related to neurological conditions.
• Heart and vascular problems such as heart failure, arrhythmias, blood clots, pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
• Kidney-related complications.
• Neurological conditions.
• Postoperative infections.
• Respiratory complications, including pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Learn More

Call our Contact Centre on +44 20 3423 7500 for more information about the services offered by the Acute Admissions Unit (AAU) at Cleveland Clinic London.