26/08/2025
Advice on attending A&E
1. Travelling by ambulance may not mean you are seen sooner. A&E do not have a first come first served policy and everyone will be triaged in clinical priority order
2. Emergency ambulances are not hospital transport or hospital taxis. These are staffed by highly trained people who are there to provide emergency lifesaving intervention either on scene or on route. If you are physically well enough and not suffering from something that requires immediate medical intervention you should make your own way to the hospital.
3. You cannot be referred to A&E. A GP can call you an ambulance or recommend you call an ambulance but they cannot refer you to A&E. If you arrive at A&E with a letter from your GP recommending you are seen this will not mean you skip the queues. The only caveat to this would be if the GP referred you to a speciality but you would wait in A&E for a member of that team to see you.
4. Simple treatment - Even if you are waiting for simple treatment this does not mean you will be seen sooner as there may be 15-20 people also waiting for the same simple treatment such as a dressing etc.
5. Asking about the wait time - Patients often ask how long is the wait time and how many people are in front of me? Although there may only be 2 people ahead of you one may require resuscitation, transfer to surgery which would take longer than a simple wound etc. It may not be a simple answer from the A&E team.
6. A&E is not for simple check ups. A&E often report to us that the person with the patient often asks for a check up for themselves too. This slows down the process and it is not ever appropriate.
7. Stay in ear shot! A&E can spend 20 minutes trying to find patients who have gone outside, gone to the shop or left. Please stay in ear shot if you are called or if you needed to pop out tell someone please.
8. Do not take photos or videos of A&E especially not in areas where other patients are visible. Some people are having the worst days of their lives and they could do without being filmed.
