How can I get seen faster in A&E? Arrive at 6-7am. That is when the waiting time is least, as a new shift of doctors and nurses has just started. Also the senior doctors are all there in the morning. So, they can be called if the more junior ones need help. But there are […]
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Different NHS services: pros and cons The NHS is very large, the biggest employer in Europe. It is so large and complicated, it is hard to know which part of the NHS to use. This page describes the main options, and which is best for which problem. Pros and cons. Yes, it is quite confusing […]
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What are different departments in an NHS hospital? In this article we will describe an A-Z of different departments in an NHS hospital. ‘T’ means it is a specialist department of a larger teaching hospital, that is not usually present in a smaller local hospital. AAccident and emergency (A&E)Acute medicineAnaesthesiaAudiology BBiochemistry (clinical chemistry)Breast surgery CCardiologyCardiothoracic surgery […]
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What is A&E? And what happens there? The Accident and Emergency department (A&E) assesses and treats people with major trauma, serious injuries and illnesses, and those in need of emergency treatment. It’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. It has alternative names: Casualty Emergency Department (ED) Emergency Room […]
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Does the NHS have enough hospital beds? Yes/no. [“that’s helpful!” MyHSN Ed] What we need is more protected surgical beds, so we can do more operations. Let’s explain why that is so. The problem As we all know there are over 6m people waiting for an operation (or procedure) in the NHS, some waiting over 2 […]
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What is a general practitioner (GP)? A GP (general practitioner) is a senior ‘family doctor’. They are based in a local general practice, and a cornerstone of the NHS. 90% of contacts with the NHS are with your GPs. What does a GP do? GPs treat acute (short term) and chronic (long term) illnesses and provide preventive care and health education to […]
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How do you find your relative in hospital This is how to find your relative in hospital. 1. Visiting hours – check them before you go on the hospital website (or ring ward). They may be different on different wards. 2. Find them – this is quite easy. Approach the desk in the hospital reception and […]
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What is the average wait time in A&E? It is meant to be 4 hours or less. But actually it is not known. It is easier to state the maximum waiting time in A&E. I.e. it should be four hours or less. Ok, so let’s expand on that a bit. The waiting time target for […]
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7 Principles (and core values) of the NHS These are the 7 principles of the NHS, as stated in Englands’ NHS Constitution. It was first written in 2009, and last updated in January 2021. 1. The NHS provides a comprehensive service, available to all The NHS is available to all irrespective of gender, race, disability, age, sexual […]
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What is an acute ward? An acute ward is a ward in a hospital where you are sent from A&E, if the doctors feel you are too unwell to go home. There may be an Acute Medical Unit (AMU) that acts as a bridge to an acute ward. A few patients from Urgent Treatment or Walk-in Centre are also sent there – i.e. to […]
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