Adult Emergency Department

Welcome to the Adult Emergency Department at Sunderland Royal Hospital. We look after around 300 people each day with everything from broken bones to serious heart attacks in our brand new department which opened in June 2017.

The Adult Emergency Department is part of the Emergency Care department.

City Hospitals Sunderland’s new state of the art Adult Emergency Department opened June 2017. With the expertise and passion of our staff alongside the new facilities, the Trust is proud to offer such an exceptional service to the people of Sunderland and surrounding areas.

The Adult Emergency Department is located on Kayll Road, to the right of Sunderland Royal Hospital Main Entrance and opposite the multi-storey car park.

Adult Emergency Department 0191 569923

You can telephone us if you need to find out about someone who has come to the department or you need to ask a question.

Divisional General Manager Angela Gillham

Directorate Manager Hannah Stoker

Clinical Director Dr Martyn Farrer

Matron Sue Lane

Matron Julie Mills

We hope you never need to visit us, but if you do you will be looked after in one of four areas:

Resus

Resus is where our sickest patients are. This could be someone with a severe infection, or someone whose heart has stopped. Our Emergency Department team work with our specialists to give life-saving treatment in this area.

High acuity

High acuity is for our less sick patients. Here our nursing team can monitor people who are unwell, and our Emergency Department staff will make an assessment and provide whatever treatment is needed. A lot of our patients in high acuity need to be admitted to hospital for ongoing treatment.

Ambulatory assessment

Ambulatory assessment is for patients who are not that sick but need some specialist input. This might be for broken bones, mental health problems, breathing difficulties or many other conditions. Again our Emergency Department team will make an assessment and provide any treatment needed.

See and Manage

See and Manage is where patients with minor injuries and illness are seen. Some of these people could have gone to other services – if you are not sure whether you should come to the Emergency Department or not, see our Choose Well guide. The rest have injuries or illnesses which needed to be seen in hospital, but do not require life-saving treatment.

Visiting the Adult Emergency Department

If you do need to come to the Emergency Department because of your illness or injury, or you are here with a friend or relative, we know that it can be a frightening experience. Here are some questions about what might happen when you come to the ED.

What happens if I come to the Emergency Department?

If you arrive by ambulance the ambulance crew will bring you into the department and register your details at reception. They will then tell a senior nurse about you so that we can get you into the right part of the department (see Our department tab).

You may be taken into the waiting room if you are well enough, or you may be taken to a room in one of our clinical areas. If you are in a room, one of our nurses will come to see you to make an assessment and arrange some tests. You will then see one of our doctors or practitioners who will ask some more questions and discuss a more in-depth treatment plan with you.

If you are well enough to be in our waiting room, you may not see an assessment nurse – you may be seen directly by a practitioner. You may see other people seeing the nurse who arrived after you – these people will have different needs and conditions to yours.

When will I be seen when I come to the department?

We try and see everyone as quickly as possible but sometimes there may be a long wait to be seen. This happens when we have a lot of sick people arriving together who all need assessment and treatment.

Our doctors, nurses and practitioners will work as hard as they can to see you – please don’t keep asking them how long the wait is as it only slows them down in doing their job!

Why do I have to wait when I come to the department?

Lots of people come to our department and some are much sicker than others. You may have to wait to see a nurse or doctor when you come to the department because they are busy looking after sicker people. Our nurses will assess you and so will know if you are well enough to wait to be seen.

If you have come to the department by ambulance this does not mean you will be seen quicker – you will still be assessed in the same way as anybody else walking in.

What should I bring if I need to come to the Emergency Department?

You should bring the medicines that you take, including medicines you buy over the counter. If you have a recent prescription, please bring that too. This helps us to know what you are taking and whether it causes problems with any treatment we might suggest.

What will happen when I have been seen?

The doctor or practitioner who has seen you will discuss their findings with you and explain what they think is wrong with you. They might say that you are fit to be discharged and go home without follow-up. They may also think that you are safe to go home but need some follow-up and will explain what to do about this.

You may need to be seen by a specialist, and the doctor or practitioner will explain whether this should be while you are in the department, or whether this is as an outpatient. They may also explain that they think you need to be in hospital to have your condition treated.

Whatever the plan, you will be able to ask about any questions you might have. Make sure you understand what will happen with you and what you need to do before you leave the department.

What if I need to be admitted?

Our team will discuss with you whether your condition would be best treated by being admitted to hospital.

If you do, you will need some changes of clothes and things like soap, shampoo, toothpaste and a toothbrush for your stay. You will be told which ward you will be going to. Your relatives will be able to find out about visiting times by visiting the ward’s page on this website or by asking the nurse-in-charge on the ward.