Emergency Department - A&E
Opening times
24 hours day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Telephone
01493 452200 or 01493 452436
Location
Dedicated entrance at the front of the hospital
Our Emergency Department (ED) treats more than 80,000 patients a year and provides emergency services and care for the wider community in the Great Yarmouth, Gorleston, Lowestoft and Waveney area, as well as inland and rural surrounding areas.
We work closely with other specialty services and local hospitals and provide a 24 hour service for a local population of approximately 250,000 patients.
Please note: The Emergency Department should not be confused with the Emergency Admissions and Discharge Unit (EADU) which is for the assessment of emergency patients sent to hospital by General Practitioners (GPs).
Please remember that the Emergency Department and 999 should only be used for emergencies.
An “emergency” is a serious injury or life-threatening problem such as chest pain, severe shortness of breath, severe abdominal pain, loss of consciousness, severe allergies, heavy bleeding, suspected broken bones, deep wounds, swallowing something harmful or poisonous or a drug overdose, any signs and symptoms of a stroke or infants and children with persistent fever despite paracetamol.
Using our Emergency Department for minor problems delays sick patients being seen in a timely manner and can put other people's lives at risk.
If you are unsure where to seek treatment for your illness or condition please use the NHS 111 service by dialling 111 from any phone or going online - https://111.nhs.uk/
Please note: Arriving by ambulance does not give you priority over other patients with similar problems who have come by car or public transport.
Every patient who arrives in the department is assessed by a senior nurse who will ensure that patients with potentially life-threatening conditions or injuries are treated first.
Please be aware that there can be a considerable wait to be seen as we often have a significant number of sick patients within the department.
Therefore we ask you to consider visiting your GP for review of chronic problems such as back pain, or your local walk-in centre or pharmacist for minor illnesses such as coughs, colds and sore throats and minor injuries such as bruises and sprains.
A pharmacist can provide confidential, expert advice and treatments for a range of common illnesses and complaints.
Your GP can help you with an illness or minor injury unless it's out of hours, when you should call 111.
You can call 111 or go online for all non emergency healthcare needs.
NHS 111 is a free to call telephone number, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for anyone wanting to access urgent healthcare when it is not an emergency. The service is also available online at; https://111.nhs.uk/
