Celebrating a year of Surgical Same Day Emergency Care at University Hospital of Wales

On 18 July 2023, the Surgical Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit at University Hospital of Wales celebrated its first anniversary in its new location.

The unit, which was previously located in a different part of the hospital, has expanded its services to now include six surgical specialties: ENT, general surgery, maxillofacial, ophthalmology, urology, and vascular surgery.

Surgical SDEC was created with the vision to see more patients and give quicker assessments, diagnostics and treatments. Senior decisions are made with speed and time on waiting lists are reduced substantially for minor operations. By giving people dedicated timeslots, it has reduced patient waiting time and pressures on the Emergency Unit, often leading to surgeries and discharges within the same day.

Over the past year, the team has grown from 19 to 58 and are treating an extra 60 patients per week. In the Surgical Same Day Emergency Care Unit, the wait from arrival to discharge has been reduced by seven hours, leading to better patient experiences.

Paula Strong, Lead Surgical Nurse Practitioner in Surgical SDEC said, “We're proud of what we've achieved and continue to achieve. Maintaining our cohesive team working and the respect and value we have for each other is the reason we work so well. The success is down to the team."