Urgent advice: Get help from NHS 111 if:
- you're not sure if you need to go to A&E
NHS 111 can check your symptoms and tell you what to do.
Check your symptoms on 111 online, or call 111 to speak to someone if you need help for a child under 5.
How to get to A&E safely
Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
Bring any medicines you take with you.
What to expect at A&E
A&E departments are open 24 hours a day, every day.
Arriving by ambulance
The ambulance crew will give your details to reception and hand you over to the clinical staff.
Walking into A&E
You will need to register when you arrive. You'll be asked a few questions, such as your name, address and why you came to A&E.
Asking for help in another language
If you need help in another language, including British Sign Language (BSL), ask for an interpreter.
Getting help for a disability
If you need help because of a physical or mental disability, let staff know right away.
Getting an assessment ("triage")
Once you've registered, you will have to wait until you're called for your assessment.
Arriving by ambulance does not always mean you'll be seen sooner than if you had walked into A&E.
All patients are assessed by a doctor or nurse before any treatment takes place. This is called "triage" and helps the team work out what order to see patients in, so they see the most seriously unwell people first.
Important
A&E departments are currently very busy and you will likely have to wait for some time to be seen.
Self-assessment at the front door
Some A&E departments have a self-assessment tool you can use on arrival.
The self-assessment tool also helps the team work out what order people should be seen in and where.
If you have used NHS 111 and the hospital knows you are coming, you will not need to use the self-assessment tool.
Treatment, transfer or discharge
What happens next depends on the results of your assessment.
If you are seriously unwell you will be seen by an A&E doctor and referred to a specialist unit or admitted to a ward if necessary.
If you do not need to be seen in A&E you might be sent to a nearby urgent treatment centre or referred to a GP on-site.
In other cases, you might be asked to make an appointment with your GP surgery to request a GP referral.
Some people will be given a prescription and sent home, with instructions on what to do next.
If you are registered with one, your GP surgery will be contacted afterwards with an update on why you went to A&E and any treatment you got while there.