Emergency Department
Contact number: Switchboard 01772 716565
We are a multi-disciplinary team that brings specialist emergency care across both Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.
Our senior medical and nursing staff work across both sites to deliver a consistent level of care.
Major trauma centre
As the regional major trauma centre, Royal Preston Hospital receives the most severely injured patients from across Lancashire and South Cumbria and provides critical, life-saving treatment. With 24/7 access to skilled specialists and emergency theatres, the major trauma centre at Royal Preston Hospital is able to provide emergency surgery, interventions and treatment to our most severely injured patients.
Urgent and Emergency Care at Royal Preston Hospital
Here is what you need to know about what you can expect from services available at the Urgent Care Centre and Emergency Department at Royal Preston Hospital.
All patients who present for emergency or urgent care will be triaged and directed to the service most appropriate for their needs.
About the Urgent Care Centre
The 24/7 Urgent Care Centre at Royal Preston Hospital runs alongside our Emergency Department and can treat a wide range of minor ailments and injuries, for both children and adults.
It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The following circumstances can be seen in our Urgent Care Centre:
- Minor fractures
- Abdominal pain
- Minor nose bleeds
- Cuts, bites and stings
- Burns and scalds
- Infections (including abscesses)
- Minor eye conditions including conjunctivitis and foreign bodies
- Minor allergic reactions
- Minor ailnments such as earache, urinary tract infections and sinusitis
- Diarrhoea / constipation
- Emergency contraception
- Minor strains / sprains, back and neck injuries
About the Emergency Department
The 24/7 Royal Preston Hospital Emergency Department provides a full range of adult and child Emergency Department services, with the exception of a small number of conditions that are managed at regional specialist centres, where we will initiate treatment and transfer the patient to the appropriate hospital.
It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Emergency Department is the main receiving area for major trauma patients for the region.
Urgent and Emergency Care at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital
Here is what you need to know about what you can expect from services available at the Urgent Care Centre and Emergency Department at Chorley and South Ribble District Hospital.
All patients who present for emergency or urgent care will be triaged and directed to the service most appropriate for their needs.
Urgent Care Centre
The 24/7 Urgent Care Centre at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital can treat a wide range of minor ailments, for both children and adults. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
ADULTS can attend for:
- Minor nose bleeds
- Cuts, bites and stings
- Burns and scalds
- Infections (including abscesses)
- Minor eye conditions including conjunctivitis and foreign bodies
- Minor allergic reactions
- Minor ailnments such as earache, urinary tract infections and sinusitis
- Diarrhoea / constipation
- Emergency contraception
- Minor strains / sprains, back and neck injuries
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE (Under 18) can attend for:
- Minor eye conditions for example: conjunctivitis
- Minor allergic reactions
- Minor ailments such as earache, urinary tract infections, sore throat
- Diarrhoea / constipation
- Abdominal pain
- Skin infections (including abscesses)
- Minor nose bleeds
- Insect bites or stings
Emergency Department
At Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, our emergency department opens for 12 hours per day (8am to 8pm). It is an adults-only service and caters for adult emergency presentations, except for major trauma.
Children and young people (under 18 years of age) needing A&E services, or who have sustained an injury, will need to attend Royal Preston Hospital to ensure they receive the best care in the right place. Additionally, any pregnant women needing A&E services will also be taken to Preston for the same reason.
What to do if you are injured:
The Emergency Department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital is for minor injuries only. Patients suffering complex fractures or major trauma injuries will need to be treated at the Royal Preston. As a major trauma centre, with clinicians who are highly trained and experienced in treating complex broken bones and / or life-threatening injuries, the Royal Preston Hospital is the most appropriate place for this type of care. In any of those circumstances, please go directly to Royal Preston Hospital A&E department.
Urgent medical help
For urgent medical help, please use the NHS 111 online service: https://111.nhs.uk/
Emergencies
Call 999.
- Major Trauma Centre for Lancashire and South Cumbria
Our emergency department works as a multidisciplinary team dedicated to providing specialist emergency care to the highest level. Our aim is to care for the individual in a timely manner, following evidence based world class treatment.
We are the major trauma centre for Lancashire and South Cumbria. We are surrounded by an urban population supplied by an extensive motorway network as well as a large area of very variable rural landscapes, meaning that we experience a wide range of major trauma presentations.
Our major trauma team is led by the emergency department consultants and is comprised of representatives from a number of specialty teams who receive patients from the North West Ambulance Service, and a number of regional air ambulances. All of our team members are committed to a minimum set of training standards, allowing excellence in treatment.
There is a dedicated emergency department located CT scanner open 24 hours a day and there has been a 50% increase in resuscitation room capacity in a reaction to the demand from major trauma.
We run a separate dedicated minor injuries stream, mainly staffed by emergency nurse practitioners and physiotherapists who see and treat patients from the front door and provide rapid and effective expert treatment. We are developing a number of different ways to assess our patients in the safest and most effective ways possible. Our paediatric trained consultants are combining their expertise with a cohort of nurses rotating through the emergency department and paediatrics to develop a separate dedicated treatment pathway for children.
- About Our Emergency Department Team
Our emergency department is the definition of the word “team”. Each member of our team is recognised for their individual input, and successes are shared throughout the team. As a group of emergency physicians, we work closely with our specialist emergency nursing team. Emergency nurse practitioners and physiotherapists see a high proportion of minor injuries.
We have a dedicated team of nurse clinicians working at a high level and are the first group to all achieve accreditation.Within the group of our emergency department consultants, there are colleagues dual accredited with paediatrics and they are expanding our potential at treating children. We also have colleagues that split their working week with critical care and acute medicine.
We have a good balance of experienced clinicians and highly motivated younger colleagues, all of whom provide excellence in emergency care. Each of us has links with other specialties allowing us to work in cooperation with them.
- Our Consultants
Consultants
Click on a consultant to see more information.
- Emergency Department careers
We are looking to develop our service further and there are exciting opportunities ahead both for the department and for the individuals in our team. If you are interested in joining our dedicated, ambitious, dynamic team then we look forward to you getting in touch for more information or an informal visit.
Chorley Emergency Department access guide
Preston Emergency Department access guide
