Barnet Hospital officially opened the new adult assessment unit (AAU) today – a new multi-speciality unit that will offer consultant-led care for patients seven days a week.

The AAU team are responsible for looking after emergency patients who need assessment or treatment before returning home or being admitted to a specialist ward. Typically patients will stay in AAU no longer than 24 hours. This is part of our same day emergency care programme.

This new unit gives them 45 dedicated assessment spaces. This includes specific COVID-19 assessment areas, which will help to ensure that essential infection control processes can be observed.

Sally Dootson, director of operations at Barnet Hospital, said: “Having a larger dedicated AAU space means we will be able to help more patients return home within 24 hours. This will help us to keep inpatient beds available for those patients who need longer periods of care. We’re very pleased to be opening this unit in time for winter, and I’m very grateful to the team for working so hard to make that happen.

“This is a very well-equipped and modern unit that will allow our multi-disciplinary AAU team to provide excellent care for their patients. The unit will also maintain strong links with community services, helping us to ensure that patients have the right support once they are discharged.”   

Aside from the dedicated COVID and non-COVID assessment spaces, the AAU also contains four side rooms, eight consultation rooms and two treatment rooms, including ultrasound/ diagnostics provision. 

It will provide access to specialist investigations and diagnostics, high quality medical care, and occupational and physiotherapy services.

Pictured below: the AAU team in their new unit