Creating a Short Stay Unit (SSU) in Emergency Department

The model requires the following elements:

• Are designated and designed for the short term treatment, observation, assessment and reassessment of patients initially triaged and assessed in the ED
• Have specific admission and discharge criteria and procedures
• Are designed for short term stays no longer than 24 hours
• Are physically separate from the ED acute assessment area
• Have a static number of available treatment spaces with oxygen, suction and patient ablution facilities; and
• Are not a temporary ED overflow area, nor used to keep patients solely awaiting an inpatient bed, nor awaiting medical imaging, nor awaiting treatment in the ED.