Is the Emergency Department the right place for you?

A&E can be very busy and should be used for those patients seeking only urgent medical attention.

If you have an urgent but not life-threatening problem, you should call NHS 111 before attending the hospital. You will then be directed to the most suitable location for your care in the first instance, as A&E is not always the most appropriate option.

If your problem is life-threatening, you should still use 999 and come straight to A&E.

Our emergency department provides ready access to emergency nursing and medical care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The entrance is on Gower Street, opposite Euston Square Tube Station.

The department provides clinical services to treat the range of problems with which patients present as an emergency or urgently, from life-threatening conditions to minor injury and illness, in all age groups from babies to the elderly.

The clinical team in the emergency department, led by specialists in emergency medicine and nursing, seeks to provide patients with the best clinical care as quickly as possible, as well as to allay the distress and anxiety which is often associated with accidents and emergencies. UCLH aims to treat and admit or discharge all patients within four hours, except when patients’ clinical needs dictate that the patient continue to receive treatment in the emergency department for longer.

We aim to keep patients fully informed about their investigations and treatment, and in doing so facilitating patient involvement in decisions about their treatment. The department undertakes continuous self-monitoring to ensure that patients are both treated promptly and made as comfortable as possible during their stay.

Patient contact

Service management

Address

Emergency Department
University College Hospital
Ground Floor
235 Euston Road
London, NW1 2BU
 

GP contact

Referral

Other referral information

Access to patient results

A GP discharge summary will be sent after the patient's attendance. For any urgent requests for blood or other tests, please call the Emergency Department (ED).

Information for patients

If you have been seen by your GP and have been sent to the Emergency Department for a specialty consultation you will be seen by that Specialist either within the Emergency Department or the Emergency Day Unit. Your GP is required to send you with the following information via a referral letter having already spoken to the particular Speciality doctor:

  • Referral date
  • Patient details- relevant medical details i.e current and past medical history, medications, biochemical results
  • Reason for referral
  • Patient’s personal details- full name, date of birth, full address including postcode, home and telephone number
  • GP/ referring doctors details- including full name and address and contact details

Do you need to come to the Emergency Department? 

The Emergency Department is located at University College Hospital and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for anyone seeking healthcare for an urgent medical problem related to an accident or illness. A&E can be very busy and should be used for those patients needing only urgent medical attention. The entrance is on Gower Street. 

For non-emergency problems (such as coughs, colds, sore throats, flu-like symptoms and urinary tract infections and prescriptions) please consider other treatment options such as:

  • Calling NHS 111 on 111 on any telephone - this service offers health information and advice from a specially trained nurse over the phone, 24 hours a day 
  • Calling your GP surgery to be seen by an emergency doctor or to make an appointment to see your usual doctor. 
  • Attending a Walk-In Centre -  these provide fast and convenient access to healthcare advice and treatment for minor illnesses and injury. No appointment is necessary. Please contact NHS 111 to find out where your nearest walk-in centre is located. (Please note: UCLH does not have a Walk-In-Centre.)

For more information, see our Alternatives to A&E page.

Referral address

Emergency Department
University College Hospital 
Accident and Emergency (A&E) 
Ground Floor 
235 Euston Road 
London NW1 2BU

On arrival to the emergency department (ED) please register at reception. You will be booked in by one of the reception staff who will ask you for a number of details including your personal information, GP details and your presenting complaint or condition.

Following registration, all patients are assessed by an experienced nurse or doctor. This is to assess your condition before ‘streaming’ you to the appropriate area of the department. At this point, you may also be discharged with advice and/or medication and treatment if required. We aim to make this assessment within 15 minutes of you registering at reception.

Following the assessment, we direct the patient to the most appropriate area of the department in order to commence treatment. The emergency department has a 24-hour mental health liaison team consisting of psychiatrists and senior mental health liaison nurses. We have dedicated cubicles for patients presenting with mental health problems.

In the ED we have medical staff and specialist nurses called Emergency Nurse Practitioners (ENPs) and General Practitioners (GPs) who are able to examine patients, investigate and treat a wide variety of minor injuries and illnesses. Many patients may have blood tests and x-rays carried out prior to seeing a doctor or ENP, initiated by the ED nursing staff. These tests are dependent on the nature of the presenting complaint. We also have specialist nurses called advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) who are able to investigate and treat illnesses and injuries.

Waiting times to be seen vary and will depend upon the severity of illness/injury and the number of patients present at any one time. Patients are prioritised according to clinical need, with the most serious illnesses or injury being seen first.

Priority is also given to children and the elderly. All children under the age of 17 will be sent directly to our Paediatric Area.

In ED we aim to assess, treat, admit or discharge all patients within four hours. If it is decided that you require further treatment you may be admitted to the hospital. You will be referred to a relevant specialist team who will take over your care.

Consultants