24x7 Emergency Care
The emergency department does not close. Patients are seen in order of how sick they are rather than when they arrived, which is why somebody who came after you may go first. Resuscitation bays, CT, operating theatres and intensive care are all within a short walk of each other.
- Open every hour of every day
- Seen by urgency, not arrival time
- CT and X-ray beside resuscitation
- Theatre and ICU in the same building
Stay
Assessment, then discharge or admission
Duration
Seen by urgency on arrival
Anaesthesia
As required
About 24x7 Emergency Care
Triage happens on arrival, before registration is complete, because the first job is to find the patients who cannot wait. From there the department runs several streams at once: resuscitation for the critically ill, assessment for the seriously unwell, and treatment for injuries and illness that need attention today but not this minute.
- Triage happens before registration is complete
- Several streams run at once rather than one queue
- Specialist teams are called down rather than the patient sent up
- Most patients are treated and go home the same day
Before you read on
Everything here is general information about 24x7 emergency care. Whether it suits you, and how it would be done in your case, is a decision for your doctor after examining you.
Your consultant's instructions always take precedence over anything written on this page.
When is it recommended?
Situations in which a doctor may suggest 24x7 emergency care.
- Chest pain, breathlessness or palpitations
- Sudden weakness, facial droop or slurred speech
- Serious injury, fractures or heavy bleeding
- Severe abdominal pain
- Seizures or loss of consciousness
- High fever with drowsiness, particularly in children
- Poisoning or overdose
- Any sudden severe symptom you are frightened by
Procedure details
The usual sequence, from first consultation through to follow-up.
Triage on arrival
A nurse assesses how urgent your condition is within minutes of arrival. This decides the order in which patients are seen.
Assessment
A doctor examines you and arranges tests. ECG, blood tests and imaging are available immediately rather than by appointment.
Treatment
Pain relief, fluids, oxygen or medication are started as soon as they are needed, often before the diagnosis is complete.
Decision
You are discharged with instructions, admitted to a ward, or taken to theatre or intensive care depending on what is found.
How to prepare
What to sort out before you come in.
- Come as you are, there is nothing to prepare
- Bring your medication list or the boxes if somebody can fetch them
- Bring previous reports and scans if they are relevant and to hand
- For serious symptoms call 108 rather than driving yourself
- Bring one family member rather than several, as space is limited
Recovery
What to expect afterwards, and roughly when.
- Most patients are treated and discharged the same day
- Follow the written instructions given, particularly the signs that mean returning
- Complete any course of medication prescribed
- Attend the follow-up appointment arranged, even if you feel better
- Return immediately if the symptoms that brought you in get worse
Why choose Humayun in an emergency
An emergency department is judged on how fast the sickest patient is found and how little they are moved afterwards.
- Triage on arrival, so a heart attack or stroke is picked out of the queue immediately
- Imaging beside the resuscitation area rather than in another department
- Emergency theatres and intensive care in the same building, so critical patients are not transferred
- Specialist teams called down to the patient rather than the patient sent up to them
Your Health Matters
Take the next step towards better healthcare.
Connect with our experienced specialists and find the right care for you and your family.
More in Emergency & Trauma
Cardiac Emergencies
Immediate assessment and treatment for chest pain, heart attack, dangerous rhythms and cardiac arrest.
Trauma Care
Assessment and treatment of injury, from a single fracture to serious wounds needing immediate surgery.
Polytrauma Management
Care for patients with multiple serious injuries, where several teams work together and surgery is often staged.
Respiratory Emergencies
Immediate treatment for severe breathlessness, asthma attacks, pneumonia and respiratory failure.
Stroke Stabilisation
Rapid assessment and imaging for suspected stroke, where the treatment that reverses damage works only within a few hours.
Sepsis Emergency Care
Rapid recognition and treatment of the body's overwhelming response to infection, where each hour of delay costs lives.
Surgical Emergencies
Conditions needing an operation the same day, including appendicitis, obstruction, perforation and strangulated hernia.
Paediatric Emergencies
Emergency department care for children, with paediatric equipment, weight-based dosing and a paediatrician on call.
Obstetric Emergencies
Urgent care in pregnancy and after delivery, including bleeding, high blood pressure, reduced movements and preterm labour.