Children's Assessment Unit (Hippos)

The service identifies how best to treat children who have arrived at A&E or Children's Outpatients and need further observation.

It plays a vital part in ensuring that children are seen and treated in the right time, in the right place and by the right teams. This unit helps prevent sick children from being admitted unnecessarily admitted to hospital and from here the decision can be made about whether to admit the patient, transfer them to another hospital, send them home or book them in for further tests.

The Unit allows children to be kept under observation and for investigations to be carried out to better assess their needs and avoid an overnight admission into hospital wherever possible


Availability

Children are sent from A&E or Children's Outpatients. The unit is open 9.30 until 10pm and runs every day including weekends and bank holidays. 


Contact

Children's Assessment Unit Reception: 020 8836 5390/5391


Location

Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich

"Follow the Hippos!". Children's Assessment Unit is accessed by turning right once through the Entrance to "Children's Unit & Macmillan Brook Unit" then next right to end of corridor to the last ward on the right. The nearest parking is at Car Park 1