An Acute Medical Unit (AMU) is a short-stay department in some British, Australian, and New Zealand hospitals that may be linked to the emergency department but functions as a separate department. It specializes in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with acute medical problems that require urgent attention but do not require admission to an acute ward. The AMU acts as a gateway between a patients general practitioner, the emergency department, and the wards of the hospital. The AMU helps the emergency department produce a healthy turnaround for patients, helping with the four-hour waiting rule in the United Kingdom. An AMU is usually made up of several bays and has a small number of side-rooms and treatment rooms. They are fully equipped with emergency medical treatment facilities including defibrillators and resuscitation equipment. Patients can be admitted straight to AMU from their general practitioner if he or she believes the patient needs hospital treatment. Patients from the emergency department can be moved to AMU where they will undergo further tests and stabilization before they are transferred to the relevant ward or sent home. A patients stay in the unit is limited, usually no more than 48 hours. The AMU deals with admissions only, patients will never be transferred from a ward to the AMU. Surgical procedures are not carried out in the unit either; these are referred on to the relevant theatre such as cardiothoracics and general surgery. The AMU team is typically made up of healthcare professionals, including acute physicians, nurses, AHPs, and other staff, who have expertise in the management of acute medical conditions. They work together to provide timely and efficient care to patients, using diagnostic tests, especially urine and blood tests and imaging including CXRs, CTs, and MRIs.