Emergency Multidisciplinary Units (EMU)

What we do

The aim of the Emergency Multidisciplinary Units is to provide assessment and treatment for adults with sub-acute care needs as close to patients’ homes as possible. Providing medical, nursing and therapist assessments and treatments, the units are designed to offer patients a faster and more convenient alternative to admission to an acute hospital.

Our teams deliver a comprehensive assessment, acute medical diagnosis and treatment plan with ongoing care to support patients and carers during episodes of illness without acute hospital admission.

Located within a community hospital site, the emergency multidisciplinary unit will rapidly assess any patient, following contact with a healthcare provider (for instance, a GP, community nurse or ambulance paramedic) who feels that further assessment is needed.

EMUs do not assess patients with suspected heart attacks, strokes, head injuries or those who may require surgical intervention.  These will need to be seen at the A&E or as a direct referral to the surgical teams.

Please note: this unit only treats patients following a referral from a GP or other healthcare professional.

Useful information

Our teams consist of registered nurses, paramedics, health care assistants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers. The medical teams consist of elderly care physicians and general practitioners.

Access to diagnostics

The key enablers for the rapid assessment and treatment are point of care diagnostics for blood tests, ECGs and basic x-ray imaging.

Community step-up beds

A pool of beds is available for or short-term use (less than 72 hours) for patients who are not suitable for ambulatory care.

Hospital at Home

EMU works closely with the Hospital at Home team who can provide support to EMU patients by delivering therapeutic interventions or monitoring and reassessment of conditions in patients’ homes.

There are two EMUs based at Abingdon and Witney Community hospitals:

EMU Entrance7x5Abingdon Community Hospital

Marcham Road
Abingdon
Oxfordshire
OX14 1AG

Phone: 01865 904 686

Opening hours: 8am-8pm Monday – Friday and 10 – 4pm at weekends

00016698Witney Community Hospital

Welch Way
Witney
Oxfordshire
OX28 6JJ

Phone: 01865 903 378

Opening hours: 9am-8pm Monday-Friday and 10am-4pm on Saturday.

Patient information leaflet

If you are a patient or carer of someone being treated at the EMU, you can download an information leaflet here.

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Page last reviewed: 16 September, 2021