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Welcome to St Helier Hospital.

On average we see 200 patients a day.

Staff of the Emergency Department seek to care as quickly as possible for all the patients who attend, but there are clearly some patients who have life-threatening problems and need to be treated as soon as they arrive. Others have less urgent needs and may have to wait for treatment, if staff are busy with more urgent cases.

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Welcome to the Emergency Department

Your Rights

Highly skilled doctors and nurses
Courteous staff
Privacy
Safety

Our Rights

No aggression/violence
Please understand that:

-Resources do not always meet demand

-We always do our best

Priorities for Emergency Triage

A Standard Triage Scale

After widespread debate the British Association for Emergency Medicine and the Emergency Nursing Association of the Royal College of Nursing have agreed to adopt a 5-point Triage Scale, so on arrival you will have been assessed by an experienced Triage Nurse, according to the following priorities:

1. Immediate resuscitation

2. Very urgent

3. Urgent

4. Standard

5. Non-urgent

The UK National Scale has been agreed after very extensive discussion.

First Assessment and Ongoing Triage

First Assessment has to be rapid. The problems and presenting symptoms which affect the patient and the way they have developed will enable the triage nurse to triage (sort).

In the care of each patient, triage is not something which happens just once when a patient arrives. It is an ongoing process, with staff aware of what is happening to each patient and able to revise the priority category where necessary, for instance if the patient becomes more ill.

Target Times

For each priority group we have given a target time. For the three most urgent groupings it should be the aim in all departments to have the patient seen by a doctor, or nurse practitioner who can make a full assessment and start urgent treatment within the target time.

Patients in the less urgent groups (standard and non-urgent) also have target times, but many units will not be able to see all of them within these times with the current staffing levels of doctors and nurses.

The Triage Scale with Target Times

The times are intervals between arrival and first attention by a practitioner able to start treatment (this may be a doctor or nurse). These times are listed overleaf.

Seriously ill or injured patients may need attention from many members of the ED team. This may lead to delays for less urgent cases.

Please accept our apologies if this occurs, as many life-threatening cases can take a long time to stabilise. As these patients have life-threatening conditions, they take priority over all others.

Some patients have medical or surgical conditions, for which their GP has arranged for them to be seen by the appropriate specialist doctor – not the duty ED doctor.

If you have not seen your GP, you will be seen by an ED doctor: but please remember, this is a very busy unit for accidents and emergencies, and should not be used instead of attending your own GP.

1. Immediate Resuscitation

Patients in need of immediate treatment for preservation of life.

All patients to be seen on arrival in the unit.

These patients are met by a team ‘standing by’ after prior notification by the ambulance service.

2. Very Urgent

Seriously ill or injured patients whose lives are not in immediate danger.

All these patients will be seen within 10 minutes of arrival.

3. Urgent

Patients with serious problems, but apparently stable condition.

All these patients should be seen within 60 minutes of arrival, but this will depend on resources available.

4. Standard

Standard ED cases without immediate danger or distress.

The aim is for these patients to be seen within 21/2 hours, but this time will depend on resources available.

5. Non-Urgent

Patients whose conditions are not true accidents or emergencies or who have old injuries.

If these patients are to be treated in the Emergency Department, the standard is that they will not have to wait more than 4 hours to be seen, but this time will depend on resources available.

Patients in this category may be directed to more appropriate facilities.

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Welcome to St Helier Hospital.

Welcome to the Emergency Department

Your Rights

Our Rights

Priorities for Emergency Triage

First Assessment and Ongoing Triage

Target Times

The Triage Scale with Target Times

1. Immediate Resuscitation

2. Very Urgent

3. Urgent

4. Standard

5. Non-Urgent

Share this...

Were you prepared for the visit today?

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Some tips to improve your mental wellbeing

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Was this information useful?

How was your visit today?

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