Accident and Emergency
Contact details
Main telephone number: 01604 545610/545601
In an emergency situation please dial 999 or for urgent advice please contact NHS 111
How to find us
The department is in area D, adjacent to the hospital’s main entrance situated just off Cliftonville. There is limited parking close to the entrance, and the nearest main car park is car park 1. The department is well signposted from within the hospital and also externally from main roads.
Click here for the hospital map
Services
A&E is a 24 hour department, which consists of a minors and majors area including a plaster room. We deal with acute injury or illness (less than 48hrs old), which may or may not be life threatening. We cover the following specialities: Medicine, Surgery, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, ENT, Ophthalmology, Gynaecology, Plastics.
Paediatric Emergency Department:
In an emergency situation please dial 999 or for urgent advice please contact NHS 111
How to find us
The department is in area D, next to the main A&E, adjacent to the hospital’s main entrance situated just off Cliftonville. There is limited parking close to the entrance, and the nearest main car park is car park 1. The department is well signposted from within the hospital and also externally from main roads.
Services
The Paediatric Emergency Department is a 24 hour department, which looks after babies, children and young people aged 0-17. The department includes a higher dependency unit (HDU) room, a dedicated space for those patients experiencing a mental health crisis, three waiting rooms and a triage room.
Eye casualty:
To help to keep our patients and staff safe we are changing the way we operate our eye casualty service. The service will no longer operate as a walk-in service. Instead patients will need to contact us by phone before coming to the hospital. This means our team can provide support and medical advice over the phone without patients needing to come to hospital. If you do need to come to the hospital for medical help the team will arrange this with you. Please contact the service on 01604 545085 or 01604 634700 ext 8011
Eye casualty services are available:
Monday- Saturday 8.30am- 4.30pm
Sundays and Bank Holidays- 9.00am- 12.30pm.
Eye clinics: Vary in time between Mon – Fri 8.30am – 5.00pm
If you need urgent help outside of these hours please go to the Accident and Emergency department.
If you know that your relative will be admitted:
Please ensure you bring:
- Your admission letter and any other information we may have sent
- Any personal medicines or inhalers that you are using at the moment
- Any letters or x-rays detailing your current medical condition
- Any medicines or tablets you are currently taking
- Any special aids you use (eg walking stick, hearing aid)
- The name and contact details of any care agencies that may be supporting you at home
You may also want to bring:
- Night clothes, day clothes for longer stays
- Dressing gown, bedjacket or cardigan
- Shaving items
- Soft shoes or slippers
- Sanitary towels
- Washing and toiletries (including toothbrush and toothpaste)
- Towels
- A box of tissues
- Hand wipes
- Things to do (e.g reading, writing materials, crosswords, knitting)
- Your spectacles or contact lenses
- A denture pot (if applicable)
- The name, address and telephone number of your GP
Storage space is limited. Please bear this in mind when packing for your stay with us, and don’t bring clothes you will not need. Some areas will encourage you to wear your day clothes when appropriate, however space remains limited so minimal requirements are appreciated. We can't be held liable for your belongings, and labelling your items clearly is recommended.
Please do not bring
- Valuables, jewellery or large sums of money (We can't be held liable for their loss)
- Alcohol
- Mobile telephones (These are not allowed on wards and in clinical areas, although they may be used in public areas of the hospital)
- Personal audio equipment – unless you first check with ward staff, and always use headphones or earphones
What should I do when I get there?
If this is for a minor incident, please book in at the reception and then wait in area 1 for a triage nurse to call you. If you arrive by ambulance, you will be booked in by staff, unless a relative is present.
Please wash your hands using soap and water or the gel provided before entering the department. Gel is found in dispensers by the doors.
Please report to the nurses station on entry to the area and you will be directed to the person you are visiting.
About the team
Accident and emergency has a large team, consisting of Consultants, Registrars, Senior House Officers, Nurses, and Emergency Nurse Practitioners. The team is further supported by an Assistant Directorate Manager, Patient Trackers, Secretaries and Reception staff.
Doctors from all specialities visit this department when necessary.
Any other information
While you are in hospital, you may be transferred from one ward to another. These transfers will be agreed with a consultant, and your relatives will be informed by staff where you have gone.
If you are in pain, discomfort or worried, please let the ward staff know.
Your medical information is strictly confidential and will not be passed onto anyone without your permission. But if you wish, staff will keep relatives informed about your progress.