Acute Medical Assessment Unit (AMAU) | Bon Secours Hospital Dublin

The AMAU is open to everyone over 16 who has a medical issue. You do not need a referral letter from your GP to attend.  

If you are planning to attend the AMAU, you will need to call and speak to our team on 01 806 5444 in advance to ensure that we can look after you.   Our team will then give you an admission time, and we will be ready and expecting you when you arrive.

We cannot accept walk-in patients, and all patients must have an appointment in advance of attending the AMAU at Bon Secours Hospital Dublin.

Please check the list of conditions that we treat and don’t treat in the section below.   

If you have been referred by your GP to the unit, our team will call you as soon as we receive your referral to schedule an admission time with you. 

The AMAU is open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday with the last appointment at 4pm (excl. Bank Holidays). 

The unit is staffed by Emergency Medical consultants, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.  On arriving, you will register with our reception team and brought into the unit and straight to a cubicle. Once you are settled, you will be seen by one of our medical team.

Your doctor will review your chart and consult with you and may request other tests such as blood tests, a scan in our radiology and diagnostic imaging department or cardiac tests in our cardiology department.  Patients from our AMAU are prioritised and the tests will be carried out with the minimum of delay.

Most test results are available on the day and your consultant will discuss your future plan of care which may include admission to a hospital bed. 

A copy of your results will be sent to your GP. 

We have prepared 2  short videos  below entitled 'Accessing care and attending the AMAU' for further information as to what you might expect when attending the AMAU at Bon Secours Hospital Dublin. 

Our team, led by emergency medical consultants, quickly manage and treat many conditions including but not limited to the following: 

• Mild abdominal pain, diarrhoea and cramps
• Anaemia - Low blood count  
• Chest infections
• Chest pain that isn't severe or very sudden in onset
• Faints, dizziness, skipped heart beats
• Mild head injury, cuts and wounds for suturing
• Mild to moderate headaches that are not improving
• Neck, back and muscular pain
• Rash
• Shortness of breath
• Sinus problems
• Skin infections and abscesses
• Suspected blood clots in your leg or lung
• Urine infections
• Weight or appetite loss, fever and night sweats

While most patients are suitable to attend the AMAU, there are certain patients/conditions that are not including:

• Acute surgical and orthopaedic emergencies
• Ambulance referrals
• Eye emergencies / ophthalmology
• Pregnant patients
• Patients with acute mental illness
• Paediatric (<16 years) patients

If you have any concerns or are wondering whether you might be suitable, please call our medical team on 01 806 5444, and they will advise you and answer any questions you may have.  

The minimum upfront cost of attending the AMAU is €275. This includes a Consultant fee and an administration fee. The Consultant fee is fully or partly refundable depending on your insurance policy.

We also take €480 extra withholding charge on your credit card, which is used to cover the cost of the various tests you may need during your assessment. 

We understand that this seems like a lot of money to pay upfront. The credit card withholding fee is similar to the withholding charge that a Hotel takes from your card when you check in. We have no choice but to charge for the tests that you may need upfront, as the AMAU is considered an outpatient service by the Insurance companies. If you do not get any tests for example, this is immediately refunded to your card. However, do remember that these charges for tests are also partly or fully refundable to you through your Insurer. How much you get back depends on your insurance policy level. This is why you should get a receipt on discharge for all the tests you had.

If you do not have private health insurance, you can still attend the AMAU and pay the cost yourself. 

Please call our team on 01 8065444 for further details on cost and to arrange an admission time.

If you are a GP and wish to admit a patient to the AMAU, you can forward a referral via Healthlink or securely from your Healthmail email account to [email protected]. You can also ring the AMAU medical team on 01 806 5444.  The admission team will then contact your patient with an admission day and time and confirm this with you.

If you would like any additional information about the unit or the suitability of your patient, please do not hesitate to call the team on 01 806 5444.

Please see ' Detailed Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria'  for more information.

Suitable patients

General

• Weight loss, fatigue and suspected malignancy
• Fever of unknown origin
• Cellulitis, abscess
• New onset rashes
• Allergic reactions
• Earache and sore throat
• Urinary tract infections
• Collapse/syncope
• Migraines/headaches

(excluding sudden onset headache or associated neurological deficit)

• Suspected TIA

Cardiology

• Palpitation assessment
• Exacerbation of CCF

Endocrine

• Thyroid Disease
• Uncontrolled Diabetes

Gastroenterology

• Low-risk GI bleed
• Jaundice
• Gastroenteritis
• Constipation
• Gastritis

Haematology

• Anaemia
• DVT
• Thrombophlebitis

Minor Trauma

• Simple lacerations and wounds
• Minor Head Trauma
• Minor Burns

Respiratory

• Respiratory tract infection
• Asthma / COPD exacerbation
• Unexplained shortness of breath and
• Pleuritic chest pain

Urology and Nephrology

• UTI / Pyelonephritis
• Acute and chronic kidney injury
• Acute Urinary Retention
• Scrotal pain, excluding suspected torsion

Unsuitable patients

Patients requiring resuscitation / clinically or physiologically unstable/high risk for sudden life-threatening deterioration / require ITU/HDU/CCU admission.

Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• Suspected intracranial haemorrhage, acute stroke, CNS infection, acute neurological deficit
• Septic shock
• Acute uncontrolled GI Bleeding
• Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome (STEMI/ NSTEMI)
• Acute severe asthma or respiratory distress
• Decreased GCS from any cause
• Surgical / Orthopaedic conditions requiring admission
• Back pain with neurological symptoms (Cauda Equina / Foot Drop)
• Psychiatric/Behavioural disorders
• Ophthalmology / Gynaecology disorders
• Pregnant patients
• Significant complex care needs due to cognitive impairment or other comorbidities that require multidisciplinary input.

All referrals are triaged by our experienced medical team. It is important to note that patients with acute surgical or orthopaedic issues and those listed as unsuitable in the above section will not be admitted to the hospital. Patients may be transferred to a local Emergency Department if there are no beds for admission after assessment, or if their assessment reveals a condition that is not suitable for medical admission in the Bon Secours Hospital.