What is A&E (Accident and Emergency)?
The Accident and Emergency department (A&E) assesses and treats people with major trauma, serious injuries and illnesses, and those in need of emergency treatment. It’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.
It has alternative names:
- Casualty
- Emergency Department (ED)
- Emergency Room (ER).
If an ambulance is needed, you can call 999 (the emergency phone number), and they will take you to A&E. Or you may get redirected via that service to NHS111.
When should you go to A&E?
Generally you should only go there (or ring 999) in emergencies such as major trauma or accidents, loss of consciousness, confusion, persistent severe chest or abdominal pain, a stroke, or breathing difficulties.
If the problem is not severe like these conditions, we encourage you to ring NHS111 first before you go to A&E. They can guide you regarding the best and quickest way of seeing the right health professional.
This may not be A&E.
So let’s go through what is accident and emergency (A&E), and the 3 stages of what happens at A&E.
Stage 1. Arrival at A&E – Register and triage
Once you are there, you register at reception. A nurse will assess your condition, and decide on further action – this is called triage. You may have a short wait before you are seen, as this ensures people with the most serious conditions are seen first. A few will go home after triage. Most will be sent to one of these following three (or four) sub-areas.
Stage 2. A&E sub-areas – Assessment and initial treatment
- Resuscitation (or ‘resus’) – where the sickest patients go
- Major injuries (or ‘majors’) – where the next sickest patients go
- Minor injuries (or ‘minors’) – where the least sick patients go
- Rapid assessment (and) treatment (‘RAT’) unit – not all A&Es have these. RAT typically involves the early assessment of ‘majors’ patients, by a team led by a senior doctor, with the initiation of investigations and/or treatment. The approach consciously removes ‘triage’ and initial junior medical assessment from the pathway. Nurses and junior doctors in the RAT team then implement the first stages of the care plan. The overall aim being admission avoidance where appropriate.
There may be additional areas, that are either part of or near to these three areas:
- Ambulatory Emergency Care – (AEC, also called Same Day Emergency Care, SDEC), where the less sick go
- Urgent treatment centre (UTC) – some hospitals have a UTC run by GPs and other doctors and nurses. You may be sent there if the triage nurse thinks you do not need A&E care. In some hospitals, you can go straight from reception desk to an UTC, or just walk into a UTC yourself. They may also be called Urgent Care Centres (UCCs)
- Minor injury/illness units (MIUs) – these can be similar to UTCs
- Walk-in centres – these can be similar to UTCs. They are often run by GPs.
[“Thats alot of abbrevs, CAPITALS and acronyms. Bit confusing. Yup!” MyHSN Ed”]
Stage 3. After A&E – Discharge or admission
70% of people go home. But, for 30%, we can admit you from any of these areas to all other hospital departments, including:
- Medical and surgical assessment units and wards
- Acute wards
- Intensive or coronary care units (ICU, CCU), for urgent treatment
- Operating theatre, if you need an urgent operation.
Summary
We have described what is A&E (Accident and Emergency). We hope you understand it better.
