Where will I be seen?

Depending on your condition, you could be seen in one of the following areas within the unit.  

• ‘Minors’ - If your injury or ailment requires less-urgent care, you will be treated by an Emergency Nurse Practitioner, Practice Nurse or a Physiotherapist in the ‘Minors’ area.    
• ‘Ambulatory Care Unit’ - this is where most patients with urgent but not immediately life or limb threatening problems are seen. You will be sat in the waiting area and called through for assessment (unless you require continuous intravenous (IV) treatment, in which case you may treated in the IV Lounge). 
• ‘Majors’ - Those who require a bed, constant observation, monitoring or treatment will go to ‘Majors’. Patients who are treated in Majors have urgent and potentially life-threatening health needs or may be very frail and vulnerable. 
• ‘Resus’ - Resus, short for Resuscitation, is where patients with immediately life or limb-threatening conditions are managed. The most seriously unwell patients are cared for in this area, with many requiring input from intensive care.  
• Emergency Radiology - If required, Emergency Radiology can perform imaging to help diagnosis. Emergency Unit Radiographers can perform X-rays and CT scans within the Emergency Unit. Very occasionally, for specific reasons, MRI scans and Ultrasound scans may be undertaken by the Emergency Unit, after discussion with a Radiologist.  Aside from X-rays, which Emergency Unit doctors and practitioners are trained to interpret, all other imaging is reviewed and reported by a Radiologist, this can take several hours (especially overnight or at busy times). Please note that same day gynaecology/pregnancy scans are not routinely available at the Emergency Unit. 
• Clinical Decisions Unit - The Clinical Decisions Unit sits in the Emergency Unit and observes patients receiving treatment for up to 48 hours. 85% of these patients are discharged from hospital and 15% are transferred onto a hospital ward.