Are you suffering from:

Heavy bleeding?
Broken bones?
Chest pain?
Suspected stroke?
Burns?

A&E is for life threatening illnesses and injuries only. Dialling 999 or going to the A&E department if you don’t need to, could delay treatment for someone more seriously ill than you are.

Our A&E department is open: 24 hours 7 days per week

Following your arrival at the Accident and Emergency Department your care will follow a variety of different pathways:

If you arrive by ambulance you will be assessed by a member of the nursing team and allocated a cubicle space when one becomes available. You may have a variety of tests or assessments depending on your condition. You will then be seen by a doctor or nurse practitioner and a further plan of care will be arranged as required.

If you arrive by ambulance and your condition is stable you may be asked to wait in the waiting room.

All patients who book in at reception will be asked to take a seat in the waiting room. Patients will be called through to the main department for assessment and treatment in order of priority. Wherever possible a brief initial assessment will be carried out and the nurse will ask you about your condition.

Observations may be recorded and include your blood pressure, pulse and temperature. Simple dressings may be applied and pain relief will be offered. Following the assessment the nurse will prioritise your care as appropriate. You will be advised of an approximate waiting time. At times it may appear that other patients are being called in front of you but they may have a potentially serious condition or be waiting for a clinic appointment.

Following your initial assessment it may be necessary for you to return to the waiting room until a cubicle space becomes available when you will be seen by a doctor or a nurse practitioner. At times it may appear that other patients are being called in front of you. These patients may have a potentially serious condition or they may be waiting for a clinic appointment.

The department is staffed by a multi-professional team of doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, allied health professionals and administration staff, all of whom work together to try to provide care in a thorough and timely manner. These staff deal with all manner of conditions from torn ligaments and fractured limbs to life-threatening illnesses, major trauma and cardiac arrests.

NHS 111 is a new service that’s makes it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services in England. You can call 111 when you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency. NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the right help, whatever the time.

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.

When to use it

You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a life-threatening situation.

Call 111 if:

• you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency
• you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service
• you don’t know who to call or you don’t have a GP to call
• you need health information or reassurance about what to do next

For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local pharmacist in the usual way.

If a health professional has given you a specific phone number to call when you are concerned about your condition, continue to use that number.

For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, continue to call 999.

How does it work?

The NHS 111 service is staffed by a team of fully trained advisers, supported by experienced nurses and paramedics. They will ask you questions to assess your symptoms, then give you the healthcare advice you need or direct you straightaway to the local service that can help you best. That could be A&E, an out-of-hours doctor, an urgent care centre or a walk-in centre, a community nurse, an emergency dentist or a late-opening chemist.

Where possible, the NHS 111 team will book you an appointment or transfer you directly to the people you need to speak to.

If NHS 111 advisers think you need an ambulance, they will immediately arrange for one to be sent to you.

Calls to 111 are recorded. All calls and the records created are maintained securely, and will only be shared with others directly involved with your care.

If your doctor has referred you to either the medical or surgical team for review, you will be admitted to the assessment unit behind the A&E Department. Here you will receive a full assessment coordinated between a member of nursing staff and a doctor.

If you have presented yourself to hospital, you will need to book in at the A&E reception. If a decision is made to admit you to the assessment unit you may be asked to sit back in the waiting area until a bed becomes available.

If an ambulance has brought you to the hospital the crew will bring you directly to the assessment unit where dependent on bed availability you will be allocated a bed. If the unit is full you will be taken into an A&E cubicle.

Once allocated a bed, the nursing staff will commence a full assessment. In order of priority you will then be seen by a doctor. Tests will be carried out and results reviewed. The doctor may wish to either admit or discharge you. If you are to be admitted you will stay in the unit until a bed becomes available on a ward.

Even minor illnesses and ailments - such as colds, headaches and diarrhoea - can disrupt your life. Be prepared for most common ailments by keeping a well-stocked medicine cabinet at home.

Pain relief

Painkillers such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen are highly effective at relieving most minor aches and pains, such as headaches and menstrual pain. Aspirin must not be given to children under 16. These medicines also help with some minor ailments, such as the common cold, by reducing aches and pains and high temperatures. These three medicines also help to reduce the inflammation in arthritis and sprains.

Antihistamines

These are useful for dealing with allergies and insect bites. They’re also helpful if you have hay fever. Antihistamines can come in the form of creams that you apply to the skin (topical antihistamine), or tablets that you swallow (oral antihistamine). Antihistamine creams soothe insect stings and bites, and rashes and itching from stinging nettles. Antihistamine tablets help to control hay fever symptoms, and calm minor allergic reactions to food. They can also help to calm itchiness during chickenpox. Some antihistamines may cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about this: pharmacists may have antihistamines that don’t cause drowsiness.

Oral rehydration salts

Fever, diarrhoea and vomiting make us lose water and essential minerals, and can lead to dehydration. If you have these symptoms and can’t continue your normal diet, oral rehydration salts can help to restore your body’s natural balance of minerals and fluid, and relieve discomfort and tiredness. But they don’t fight the underlying cause of your illness, such as a virus or bacteria. Rehydration salts, available at your local pharmacy, are an easy way to take in minerals and fluid, and help your recovery.

Anti-diarrhoea tablets

Diarrhoea is caused by a range of things, such as food poisoning or a stomach virus, and can happen without warning. It’s a good idea to keep an anti-diarrhoea medicine at home. Anti-diarrhoeal remedies can quickly control the unpleasant symptoms of diarrhoea, although they don’t deal with the underlying cause. The most common anti-diarrhoeal is loperamide (sold under the names Imodium, Arret and Diasorb, among others). It works by slowing down the action of your gut. Don’t give anti-diarrhoeals to children under 12 because they may have undesirable side effects. Speak to your GP or pharmacist for advice about a child with these symptoms.

Indigestion treatment

If you have stomach ache, heartburn or trapped wind, a simple antacid will reduce stomach acidity and bring relief. It’s ideal after a celebration or party. Antacids come as chewable tablets, or tablets that dissolve in water, or in liquid form.

Sunscreen

Keep a lotion of at least factor 15. Even brief exposure to the sun can cause sunburn and increase your risk of skin cancer. Ensure that your suncreen provides UVA protection. You can protect yourself further against the sun by wearing a hat and sunglasses, and by avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day, between 11am and 3pm.

First aid

As well as the medicines discussed above, keep a well-prepared first aid kit. This can help to treat minor cuts, sprains and bruises, and it can reduce the risk of cuts becoming infected. It should contain the following items:

• Bandages: these can support injured limbs, such as fractures or sprains. They also apply direct pressure to larger cuts before getting them treated in hospital.
• Plasters: a range of sizes, waterproof if possible.
• Thermometer: digital thermometers that you put in your mouth produce very accurate readings. A thermometer placed under the arm is a good way to read a baby’s temperature.
• Antiseptic: this can be used to clean cuts before they’re dressed (bandaged). Most can treat a range of conditions, including insect stings, ulcers and pimples. Alcohol-free antiseptic wipes are useful to clean cuts.
• Eyewash solution: this will help to wash out grit or dirt in the eyes.
• Sterile dressings: larger injuries should be covered with a sterile dressing to prevent infection until treatment can be given by a health professional.
• Medical tape: this is used to secure dressings. It can also be used to tape an injured finger to an uninjured one, creating a makeshift splint.
• Tweezers: for taking out splinters. If splinters are left in, they can cause discomfort and become infected.

For more information see the Red Cross interactive guide.

Your pharmacist can help

Don’t forget that your local pharmacist can help with many minor ailments such as coughs and colds, asthma and eczema, hay fever and period pain. They can give advice or, where appropriate, medicines that can help to clear up the problem. Instead of booking an appointment with your GP, you can see your local pharmacist any time: just walk in.

Always follow the directions on medicine packets and information leaflets, and never exceed the stated dose. If you have further questions about any of these medicines or you want to buy them, ask your local pharmacist. Always keep medicines out of the sight and reach of children. A high and lockable cupboard in a cool, dry place is ideal. Regularly check the expiry dates. If a medicine is past its use-by date, don’t use it or throw it away. Take it to your pharmacy, where it can be disposed of safely.

Domestic abuse is when one person hurts or bullies another person who is or was their partner, or someone from the same family. It can happen between people who are boyfriend and girlfriend or a married couple. Domestic abuse is about controlling people and can happen to anyone.

What can you do?

• Don’t suffer in silence - there’s help available
• There are services that offer help, support and advice to anyone
• Remember that it’s not your fault and it happens in many families - your are not alone

It’s happening to a friend - how can I help?

• Tell them you believe them and that they’re not alone
• Don’t judge or blame them
• Advise them to contact support agencies

Services to contact

Domestic abuse freephone support line (DAFFS):

• Free, confidential 24-hour helpline
• Available to everyone in Somerset
• Contact 0800 69 49 999

There is also the National Domestic Violence Helpline:

• Free, confidential 24-hour service providing support and advice
• For anyone experiencing physical, emotional or sexual violence in the home
• Contact 0808 2000 247

Other useful contacts

Somerset Direct: 0845 345 9122 (children) and 0845 345 9133 (adults)