East Surrey Hospital's new same-day heart unit sent almost 80 patients home within 24 hours in three weeks, cutting cardiology admissions by over 25%.

Heart patients arriving at East Surrey Hospital’s emergency department are now being seen, treated and sent home the same day in far greater numbers. A new Cardiology Same Day Emergency Care unit opened at the Redhill hospital at the end of August.

In its first three weeks, almost 80 patients with heart-related conditions were assessed, treated and discharged within 24 hours. Cardiology inpatient admissions fell by more than 25% over the same period.

The figures come from Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital.

How the unit works

The trust gives these details:

  • it opened at the end of August
  • it runs from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
  • it takes emergency patients with cardiology-related conditions who are referred from the Emergency Department
  • it has already widened to cover everyone who arrives at the Emergency Department with a possible heart condition, with the on-call cardiology team referring patients on as appropriate

The aim is quicker access to specialist assessment and tests, shorter waits in the Emergency Department, and more patients going home the same day. The trust says some patients have avoided admission altogether, others have had much shorter stays, and some have had treatment fast-tracked.

Why it matters for the hospital

East Surrey Hospital is the main acute hospital for Reigate, Redhill, Horley and Banstead. When its beds fill, the whole emergency department backs up. In June the trust declared a critical incident because of demand on emergency care and difficulty discharging patients.

Every heart patient who goes home the same day is a bed kept free. The trust says the cardiology unit sits alongside its existing frailty and medical same-day units.

“It’s been extremely encouraging to see the early results,” said Dr Shrilla Banerjee, consultant cardiologist. She said rapid access to expert assessment and tests means more patients get care sooner, which “can often improve recovery rates and reduce anxiety”.

Alex Stamp, the trust’s chief operating officer, said the trust hoped the unit would also cut waiting times for others in the Emergency Department and help “flow through our hospital for those who do need to be admitted”.

What it means for you

  • This is not a walk-in clinic. Patients reach the unit through the Emergency Department, on referral by the cardiology team.
  • If you think someone is having a heart attack, call 999. That is the NHS’s advice, and nothing about this unit changes it.
  • Weekday daytimes only, for now. The unit’s hours are 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.
  • Three weeks is early. The 25% figure covers the unit’s first three weeks, and the trust says it is still refining the service using feedback from patients and staff.

The hospital’s cardiology department already includes an eight-bed coronary care unit, the 28-bed Holmwood ward, a six-bed day-case area and a cardiac catheterisation laboratory, according to the trust’s cardiology service page.