How does it work? of Accident and emergency departments

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If you are injured or think you are seriously ill, you can go to A&E by yourself, or get a friend or family member to take you. In an emergency, you can dial 999 (or 112) and ask for an ambulance. 112 is now the European standard emergency number, and you should make a note of this if you are going to visit another European Community member state.

Generally, you should treat the situation as an emergency if:

there has been a serious head injury with heavy bleeding,
the person is, or has been, unconscious,
there is a suspected broken bone or dislocation,
the person is experiencing severe chest pain or is having trouble breathing,
the person is experiencing severe stomach ache that cannot be treated by over-the-counter remedies,
there is severe bleeding from any part of the body.

Cuts, bruises and sprains are not normally considered to be emergencies. They can usually be treated at home, by your GP or in an NHS Walk-in centre or a minor injuries unit.

If you are not sure if it is an emergency, you can call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 for advice on what to do.

When you reach the A&E department, you will be assessed straight away by a qualified person (this could be a nurse or a doctor). You might be treated immediately, but more often you will have to wait for treatment. How quickly you are treated will usually depend on:

How serious your injury or condition is,
How busy the department is, and
Whether your condition will get worse if left.

The process is the same even if you arrive at the A&E department by ambulance.

Depending on your injuries, you may be treated by a nurse or a doctor. Often, you will be allowed to go home after your treatment. If your injuries or condition is more serious, then you might be sent for an X-ray or admitted to the hospital for further treatment.

When you are allowed to go home, you will normally have to make your own arrangements to get home from the hospital.

Waiting in A&E units

Sometimes, you may have to wait, even though your injury seems quite serious and you are in pain (eg broken bones, dislocations, serious cuts). This can happen if the department is busy treating people with even more serious injuries, for example after a serious road traffic accident or after disasters such as train crashes or terrorist attacks.

Waiting can be frustrating, but please bear in mind that hospital staff do all they can to treat people as quickly as possible.

If you do not need immediate care, then you may be referred to another part of the NHS. For instance, you may be advised to make an appointment to see your GP or told to call NHS Direct for advice. This often happens if your injury is minor or if you were injured more than 24 hours before going to the department.