The Direct Assessment Unit (DAU) also referred to as an ‘ambulatory care’ service provides access to senior decision makers and diagnostics at the front door. This Unit will provide ‘same day’ emergency/urgent care services, including telephone advice to GPs and NIAS in a non-inpatient setting. The DAU aims to improve the quality of overall patient care and experience by delivering the right care, in the right place first time.

'GPs can view their patients discharge letter on NIECR following  their attendance at Direct Assessment Unit Daisy Hill Hospital.

To access this, please go into Clinical Documents and then sub title Unscheduled Care’

There are four simple questions from the Ambulatory Handbook that may be used as a guide by the Senior Decision Maker in identifying whether a patient should be seen at the Direct Assessment Unit:

1. Is the patient clinically stable enough to be managed in the Direct Assessment Unit?
2. Is the patient functionally capable of being managed in the Direct Assessment Unit while maintaining privacy and dignity?
3. Would this patient have been admitted to hospital if Direct Assessment Unit did not exist?
4. Can the patient’s needs be better met by another outpatient or community based service?

Patient Pathways include:

• Non-Surgical Abdominal Pain 
• Anaemia
• Cellulitis
• Low Risk Chest Pain
• DVT and STP
• Headache
• Renal Colic
• Syncope
• Thrombophlebitis
• UTI
• Weight Loss
• Non Stroke Neurology
• First Seizure

The following list of referrers can access this service by calling the telephone number during the access times listed:

• GP
• GPOOHs
• ED
• Outpatient Department
• ACAH
• Specialist Community Services
• NIAS