Emergency Services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Our emergency department (ED) is open to anyone who needs emergency care because of a serious illness or accident, both adults and children.
When you arrive at the ED you will be assessed by a senior nurse. You may have tests or investigations and be seen and treated by other nurses and doctors. Most people go home after treatment, but you may be admitted to a ward or transfer you to another hospital, if necessary.
If you are not in need of emergency care following a serious illness or accident, the Urgent Care Centre (UCC) provides treatment for patients with urgent but not life threatening conditions such as cuts and bruises, mild chest infections, coughs and colds, fever, sickness, vomiting and simple fractures.
Use the right service
The ED department only treats conditions that need urgent assessment and treatment. If your condition is not an emergency, do not come directly to the ED. You have a number of options:
- Call NHS 111 for health advice about what to do. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.
- Go to the Urgent Care Centre. Both of our hospitals have Urgent Care Centres that are open 24 hours a day.
- Call your GP surgery for out-of-hours service. You can get urgent medical care when your GP surgery is closed, including weekends and bank holidays. If you cannot wait until your surgery re-opens, call your GP surgery and you will hear details of the out-of-hours-service.
- Make an appointment to see your GP
Location
Ground floor, main building, Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Contact
Switchboard: 020 8836 6000
Conditions we can treat
Our ED treats all patients who come in regardless of their age or condition. Many people come to the department in an ambulance as an emergency. Your GP may refer you to the ED if you need urgent assessment or treatment that they cannot provide in the community eg. for a suspected stroke or appendicitis. The triage nurse will assess your condition on arrival and decide how quickly you need to be seen.
Services available
The ED provides the full range of emergency services.
Who we can help
The ED provides services for adults and children who need emergency medical treatment.
Please be aware that you will be triaged on arrival, and a doctor will prioritise patients according to how serious their injuries or illnesses are.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital's ED is a trauma unit, part of the South East London, Kent and Medway (SELKaM) Trauma Network, which aims to provide timely and coordinated treatment to patients who have experienced major trauma. There may be a need to transfer to a major trauma centre, such as King’s College Hospital, for further care. You can find out more about care at our Trauma unit here: download the Trauma unit service leaflet