User:Matt641/On take

In medicine, being on take refers to being involved in the immediate care of medical and surgical patients admitted to the hospital that have not yet been allocated to a speciality firm. Doctors involved in a 'take' are general (internal) medicine or general medicine (acute) qualified, or are trainees in these areas.

A 'take' team will typically work on an specifically designated acute unit under the direction of an acute medicine consultant, with monitored beds and nursing staff experienced in acute care. This may be referred to as an acute medical unit, medical admissions/assessment unit or clinical decisions unit. Larger teaching hospitals may have separate acute surgical units.

United Kingdom
Within the NHS, patients are usually admitted to a hospital in two ways, either through the emergency department or a direct GP referral to that hospital's acute unit. Once a diagnosis has been established on the acute medical unit, patients may be either kept on the acute unit for stabilisation, moved to more intensive care (ITU/HDU/CCU/theatres as appropriate) or moved to less intensive care (a ward).

Patients in acute medical beds are under the care of the 'take' team until they are handed over to another speciality. During normal working hours, a patient is usually moved to a specialist firm that day. Outside these hours, this will usually not occur until the following day. Determination of who comprises the 'take' team will differ between hospitals.

Typically, general medical firms/doctors will rotate on a rota to supplement the staff that are resident on the acute unit. During this rotation, that firm/doctor is referred to as being 'on take'. This acute medicine consultant and the consultant 'on take' will usually conduct a 'post-take' ward round the following morning where management is reviewed or started. Consultants typically round again once or twice during the day to review any changes.