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Please come to the emergency department if you have a life threatening condition like:

• severe breathlesness
• chest pain
• severe blood loss
• symptoms of stroke
• collapse

More information about our Emergency Department

 

When to seek alternative services

We often see patients presenting at the Emergency Department who could receive treatment elsewhere, such as a Minor Injury Unit, pharmacy or GP practice. Common presentations of such conditions which can be treated elsewhere, are:

• Problems or conditions that have been rumbling on for a while and not got suddenly worse – please visit your GP first
• back pain
• abdominal symptoms going on for a few weeks such as constipation
• rashes which are not new
• repeat medications or “run out”
• for a review of a condition already known about
• coughs and colds
• insect bites and stings
• sunburn
• earache
• sprains and strains
• toothache
• minor nose bleed which has now stopped
• hayfever
• Eye conditions. Please contact the Minor Eye Care Service and do not attend the Emergency Department first, if you have:
  • Red eye or eyelids with no reduced vision
  • Dry, or gritty, or itchy and uncomfortable eyes including ingrowing eyelashes
  • Mild eye pain (on a scale of 15): 1-3 getting better with pain killers
  • Irritation and inflammation of the eye
  • Superficial foreign body in the eye
  • Significant recent sticky discharge from the eye or watery eye
  • Recent flashes or floaters for less than 3 months with no loss of vision and / or no obstruction across vision
  • Recent loss or distortion of vision for more than 48 hours and less than three months with no pain

 

 

Why it's important to use the Emergency Department properly