Important changes to visiting the Accident and Emergency Department have been put in place in response to the coronavirus outbreak. See how those changes affect you.
Services
The Accident and Emergency Department provides care for patients who may have an urgent need for medical, surgical or other care, twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week.
We are responsible for the initial stabilization and treatment for common conditions in the following areas:
- Pediatric
- Respiratory
- Dedicated asthmatic treatment area
- Cardiovascular
- Neurological
- Renal/ Urological
- Immunological
- Hematological
- Oncological
- Psychiatric
- Orthopaedic
- Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)
- Ophthalmological
- Obstetric (pregnancy-related) complications
- Gynecological
- Trauma and non-trauma surgical conditions
- Geriatric associated complaints
The Accident and Emergency department may also provide services for:
- Patients returning for further care/ assessment (reviews).
- Patients waiting to be admitted to a ward.
- The initial management of critical care and ventilated patients
- Patients abandoned in the ED requiring assisted living services
- First medical response team to mass casualties and disasters
Patient Information
Our physicians and nurses are here to help you and your relatives 24 hours a day, every day of the year. During your visit to our Emergency Department, you and loved ones may experience some things that are unfamiliar to you. The following is what you should know before and during a visit to Accident & Emergency Department:
- Be sure to always have your identification cards, list of current medications (including dosages and schedules) and if you are bringing a child, be sure to have the immunization card (Green Book)
- Ask our staff if you have any questions or concerns about your relative’s treatment, procedures and medications.
Registration
Patients will be instructed to complete a registration upon arrival. Patients will need to provide their full name, date of birth, national registration number or passport number, gender and the reason for visit. Patients will then be assessed by the triage nurse. If the patient’s treatment is urgent, they will be taken to the treatment area. If the patient is stable, they will finish the registration process and be taken to the treatment area when there is a room available. The staff of the Emergency Department is committed to providing the most accurate and efficient treatment to the patients it serves.
Waiting Areas
The waiting rooms are provided for the comfort of patients and their relatives or friends. The outside waiting area is open 24 hours a day and includes television-viewing areas, and vending machines just outside the area. It also has a stand alone phone charging ports for your convenience. Patients can expect to wait until their tests are completed and the results are back. The Emergency Department is often very busy with many patients requiring immediate or urgent treatment.
Security for Patients and Visitors
Security Officers are posted at the entrance of the Emergency Department for the protection of our patients, visitors and hospital staff. These officers help control traffic through the emergency department, so there is no interference with the critical work of physicians and nurses.Some areas are secured by badge access, and only accessible to Hospital employees for your safety.
Follow Up
When treatment is done, you will receive discharge instructions. Please ask questions at this time. Most patients should follow up with their family physician after being treated and discharged.
Sharing medication information is vital
Medication reconciliation is a safe practice where we as healthcare providers work with patients, their families and/or care providers to ensure accurate and complete medication information is communicated consistently at all stages of care.
Here is how you can work with your care team by being ready to share your medication history.
- Remember to:
- Keep a list of your medications.
- Keep the list with you.
- Keep the list up to date.
- Bring your list of medications that you are taking with you when you are coming to the Accident and Emergency Department or Out-Patient Clinics.
- Be sure you and your doctor know of any prescription medication, over the counter drugs or herbal remedies you are taking at home.
Download Your Guide to the Accident & Emergency Department
Learn how patients conditions are catergorized and read tips on what you can do to help our A&E staff attend to your emergency as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Patient Safety Information Accident & Emergency Department Brochure
Frequently Asked Questions
Accident and Emergency
Anyone needing emergency or urgent care can present themselves to the AED. No appointment or referral is necessary.
The AED is always available to patients who feel that they have a problem that cannot wait for an appointment with their primary care physician.
Here’s a list of items you should bring to the AED:
- Letter from your GP if you have been referred by them
- List of current medications
- Information about any previous medical conditions or your medical history
- A list of allergies you have to any medications
- CDs/reports of any scans relevant to your current problem
It is not always predictable when it will be busy but the department is available 24 hours a day for patients who require immediate care.
Patients with a minor injury may be eligible to be seen in our Minor Cases Unit or referred to Fast Track at the Winston Scott Polyclinic
Having a letter from your General Practitioner (GP) will certainly help us to provide you with the most appropriate care. However you will still need to be reviewed by a medical professional when you arrive, who will assign you within a triage category. This clinical assessment at triage determines the order in which you will be seen.
No. All patients will be seen by a medical professional, who will assign a triage category. This clinical assessment determines the order in which patients are seen.
The AED’s health care team consists mainly of doctors and nurses who are specially trained to treat all types of medical emergencies.
The AED physicians are trained specialists. If you have a concern about the care you receive, you should discuss it with the nurse and physician attending to you.
Quality care takes time. Your total length of stay may depend on your symptoms, illness, and if you have to be admitted to the hospital. In the event that the emergency physician needs to consult with a specialist or you require special tests and diagnostics, your stay may be longer.
To accurately diagnose your condition, we need time to review lab tests and x-rays. Some tests can only be processed after an extended period of time has passed after taking the samples.
AED patients are seen by physicians with training or experience in the specialty of emergency medicine. They obtain consultations as needed and if necessary, will refer you to a specialist based on the assessment of your problem.
A family member may wait with you in the treatment area and must stay at your bedside. If the AED becomes full or if a doctor or nurse determines that you need privacy, your family may be asked to return to the waiting area.
In consideration of our critically ill patients, no child aged 12 or younger may visit a patient without prior permission from the charge nurse. You can ask to see the charge nurse to make this request.
Based on your diagnosis you will either be discharged or admitted to the hospital. All patients discharged from the AED receive written instructions, ranging from medical instructions, referrals to an outpatient clinic and appointments to return to the AED for a follow-up visit. If you do not understand the instructions or have any questions about them, please ask for clarification.
We encourage patients to stay in touch with relatives directly to keep them updated as phoning the AED can distract nurses and doctors from providing care to the patients. If this is not possible, we ask that you nominate one member of the family to act as a liaison with the AED. Please note that in the interest of respecting patient confidentiality we are unfortunately only able to give very limited information over the telephone.
Complete our customer survey, or, visit our Contact us page to share feedback about your visit or experience as a visitor or patient of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital or, contact us by phone to speak with a medical professional:
Help Desk (Patient Advice & Liaison Service)
Phone : 246-536-4800
(Open 9AM to 9PM daily. Closed on Public Holidays)
Email : helpdesk@qeh.gov.bb
For complaints please contact :
Clinical Risk Management Unit
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Martindale’s Road
St. Michael
Phone : 246-436-6450 Ext. 6334 or 5234