The Dorothy Warren day hospital

The day hospital is situated on level 6 of the Great Northern Building adjacent to Cavell Ward and sees 1500 patients annually. Staffed by a multidisciplinary team of specialist nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and nutritionists the unit provides assessment, treatment and rehabilitation to patients. The aim is to give patients as much independence as possible and to improve the quality of their life.

Patients needing multi-disciplinary input, eg falls patients, are particularly suitable to be seen in the day hospital.  Also frail patients, where an assessment of mobility is key to their management, are seen here.

The following clinics are held in the day hospital:

Monday          09.30 – 12.30            Dr Murdoch, TIA/stroke clinic

            Monday          12.30 – 16.00            Dr Gray, general and falls clinic

            Tuesday         10.00 – 13.00            Dr Rai, general and memory clinic

(assessment and diagnostic service)

            Wednesday    10.30 – 12.30            Dr Murdoch, general clinic

            Thursday        10.00 – 12.00            Dr Rai, TIA/stroke clinic

            Friday             09.30 – 13.00           Dr Gray, falls clinic

Where possible, tests are done at the patient’s first visit. However, certain tests require a further appointment to be given.

Tea, coffee and light refreshments are provided throughout the day whilst patients wait to be seen in the clinic.

Patients admitted via the emergency department with suspected acute stroke will go to the medical assessment unit (MAU) for initial assessment by the acute stroke physician, Dr Murdoch, and investigation.  After the diagnosis of stroke has been confirmed, the patient will be transferred to the stroke rehabilitation unit on Cloudesley ward as soon as a bed is available. They will then be assessed by members of the multi-disciplinary team. We aim to complete assessments within one week of admission, and during this time patient’s will be managed by Dr Murdoch. Once the assessments have been completed and a patient’s rehabilitation status agreed, they are then managed by Dr Rai and his team until discharge.