Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC)

The Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) department provides same day urgent assessment, diagnosis and treatment for patients referred via a GP.

Service Information

The service is currently available 8.00am – 8.00pm, Monday – Sunday.  For general queries please contact: 0131 537 1938.

The department is located at the Medical Assessment Unit, Base 2 within the Western General Hospital.  Access is gained via the Crewe Road South entrance and parking is available in Car Park 1. 

Patients must be ambulatory and able to make their own way to hospital, with the referral pathway based on clinical need and not presenting condition. 

Please see individual tabs above for condition-specific referral pathways.

Referral Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• GP advises that patient requires acute secondary care assessment and treatment, but not hospital admission
• Patient must be able to make their own way to hospital, transfer from chair to chair without assistance, and attend to their own personal care (or do so with the accompaniment of a carer)

Exclusion Criteria

• Patients under the age of 16 years old
• Non-ambulatory patients. E.g., Patients who are bedbound or unable to transfer, or patients without access to transportation
• Pregnant patients, as well as those up to 6 weeks post delivery
• Patients who are actively bleeding or have experienced any trauma
• Patients who are intoxicated due to alcohol or drugs
• Patients who have ingested any form of recreational drugs
• Any patient who has taken a drug overdose
• Patients experiencing any new confusion
• Patients with illness or social circumstances that may require admission or assessment and treatment likely to take more than 12 hours
• Patients with severe pain that require IV opiates

For information about calculating the NEWS2:

https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/10083/national-early-warning-score-news-2

R.C & C.G, E.S 15-02-23