DARREN Huckerby, footballer and member of Norwich City FC's Hall of Fame, will be officially opening the new Same Day Admissions Unit (SDAU) at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Thursday.

DARREN Huckerby, footballer and member of Norwich City FC's Hall of Fame, will be officially opening the new Same Day Admissions Unit (SDAU) at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Thursday.

The SDAU was set up as a new initiative to facilitate timely admission to the hospital for routine surgical patients. The new unit has been purpose built and replaces the old one previously situated on Easton Ward. This in turn then gives us another 20 in-patient beds.

The SDAU provides better pre-op admission for patients and fewer unnecessary overnight stays the night before for patients increased bed capacity a discharge facility for surgical patients

Patients arrive in the SDAU on the morning of their surgery. The patients for an operating list will normally be seen by their surgeon and anaesthetist in consulting rooms before the list begins. Nursing staff will also see and prepare patients in time for their slot in theatre.

Patients will change and be able to wait in a designated 'pre theatre' area on SDAU. When theatres are ready they will send a support worker across to collect patients. Patients can either walk or be pushed in a wheelchair to theatre.

After surgery patients will be sent to appropriate destination wards for post operative care.