The Acute Medicine – Speciality Interface: Experience in a large teaching hospital

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital opened at its present site in 2001. The purpose built Acute Medicine Unit (AMU) is on the ground level, co-located with Emergency Radiology and the Emergency Department (ED). There are, on average, 220 ED attendances and 70 AMU admissions each day, with a split of approximately 30% General Practice referrals and 70% ED referrals. (see table 1) There is no observation ward in the ED, although there is an arrangement for the Emergency Physicians to manage patients with uncomplicated head injury for up to 48 hours.