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On arrival to the Emergency Department you will be seen by a healthcare professional, as you register, they will assess the severity of your condition and determine your treatment priority, where appropriate they will provide pain relief and order any tests that may be required. The initial assessment service may also refer you to your own GP or the out of hours GP service. This initial assessment service aims to ensure that pain and discomfort are minimised and that when you see a Doctor many of the required tests will have been completed.
Our department staff are identified by the colour of their uniforms
Black with red trim - General Manager/Lead Nurse
Navy blue with white trim - Clinical nurse manager
Royal blue with white trim - Sisters
Green scrubs - Emergency Nurse Practitioners (ENPs)
White with navy stripes - Staff Nurses
Pale blue - Healthcare Assistants
Navy with white pattern - Receptionist/Ward Clerks
Turquoise with white trim - Support Workers
Civilian Dress/blue scrubs - Managers and Doctors
All staff wear identity badges displaying their name and role. You may ask to see their identity badge before they examine you.
The Emergency Department is divided into separate units
Minor injury/illness (referred to as Minors)
Patients with minor or less serious injuries including some ambulance cases.
Major illness and injury (referred to as Majors)
Ambulance cases or patients who present with complaints that need a more in-depth assessment
Resuscitation (referred to as Resus)
Seriously ill patients requiring immediate assessment and intervention.
We have a specialist nurse who works in the department Monday to Friday.
Patients who have been referred to the hospital by their GP or other healthcare professional to see one of the specialty Doctors. Patients who have been referred by their GP are also seen by the initial assessment nurse and treated in priority order, the Doctor you have been referred to see may be busy elsewhere in the hospital and there may be a delay before you see them.
Please note that you will be seen as soon as possible, there may be occasions when the department is busy or patients with more serious conditions arrive and they will be prioritised.
This depends on the reason for your attendance to the department and your symptoms.
Minors
You will be seen by a Nurse, Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP), Paramedic or Doctor who will assess you and prescribe treatment, investigations and discharge or refer you as
appropriate.
Emergency Nurse Practitioners (ENPs)
Nurse Practitioners who experience in all aspects of Emergency Department nursing, with additional skills in physical diagnosis and the prescription of care. They have undertaken specific Emergency Department training and further specialist training to undertake some activities traditionally performed by Doctors.
This includes assessing, diagnosing and treating patients with ‘minor’ illness or injuries without reference to a Doctor. If any investigations are required they will undertake them and will then make the appropriate referral or discharge arrangements.
Their aim is to improve the quality of care delivered in a busy department by reducing waiting times. This means that some patients may be called in sooner because their assessment can be carried out by an Emergency Nurse Practitioner. Others may have to wait for a Doctor. If you have any concerns about this then please ask to speak to the nurse in charge.
Majors
You will normally be seen first by one of the nursing staff. The nurse will make an initial assessment. You will be asked questions relating to your general health and also how you normally cope with aspects of your daily life. They will perform some routine tests.
These tests may include the following:
When you are seen by a doctor you will be asked questions about your health and symptoms. They will examine you and order any tests that are necessary. At this point they may be able to tell you if you will need to stay in hospital or if you need to be referred to a specialty doctor
This depends entirely on how many patients have arrived, how many emergencies the team has to deal with and if the specialty Doctors are in theatre.
During very busy times, if your condition is not life threatening, you may have to wait a few hours. This does not mean that you are not important to us. We are doing all that we can to make the service as quick and efficient as possible within our resources. If, however, you are concerned about the length of wait, please do enquire with a member of the team.
Patients should not eat or drink in the department, until seen by a doctor, as this can sometimes delay treatment. We ask relatives not to eat and drink within clinical areas due to infection control and hygiene. We do have a water cooler in the department and a tea and coffee machine can be found in the waiting area. If you are diabetic and your sugars are low we have access to some snacks, please ask for assistance.
Your relatives and friends may be keen to find out how you are. We suggest you nominate one person to phone on behalf of all your family and friends, answering large numbers of enquiries can prevent nursing care being given to patients. Staff are restricted in the information they can provide over the telephone, therefore, only general information will be given.
Please use the number 01480 428984 for all enquires.
If you have any feedback about the service received within the department, please ask to speak with one of the nurse managers. Alternatively you can contact David Monk, General Manager, on 01480 416416 or email david.monk@nhs.net
We are always pleased to receive feedback and to learn from patient experience.
Last modified 02/04/12 10:15:34
Hinchingbrooke Hospital
Hinchingbrooke Park, Huntingdon
Cambs PE29 6NT
Hinchingbrooke Direct:
01480 416416
