Attending the Emergency Department (ED)

We are seeing increasing numbers of people attending the Emergency Department (ED) and this is impacting on the length of times that patients are waiting to be seen, treated and admitted. 

Our staff continue to work tirelessly to treat those who need them but please remember that if you attend the ED, you may have to wait. Our teams see patients in order of clinical priority; those who are sickest will be seen first. 

If you are brought to the ED via ambulance, you will need to arrange for someone to pick you up when you are fit to leave hospital as we do not provide transport home. If you use a walking aid such as a walking stick or crutches, you will not be permitted to take them in the ambulance with you, please ask your loved ones to bring them to hospital for you.   

Attending the ED can be a worrying time for people, especially for those attending with a life-threatening injury or illness. It is normal to feel anxious if you or your loved one is waiting to get specialist treatment or help, but please remember that our staff are there to help you, not to be abused. NHS Borders operates a zero tolerance policy to abuse, both physical and verbal, towards our staff so please be patient and be kind. 

In the event of an injury or illness it is important that that you seek the right care in the right place. The Emergency Department is for life-threatening injury or illness such as:

• suspected heart attack or stroke
• severe breathing difficulties
• severe bleeding
• severe injury  

If you have a minor injury or urgent health problem which isn't life-threatening, such as a suspected fracture or minor head injury, please call NHS 24 on 111 to be referred to the right care in the right place. If the NHS 24 professional you speak to thinks that you need to come into hospital, for example to get an x-ray, you will be given an appointment time to come in rather than waiting in our waiting area. You may have to wait in a queue for the NHS 24 team to pick up your call but accessing the care you need this way can be quicker and more convenient as you can wait in the comfort in your own home. It also helps us to keep our ED specialists available to support those who attend the ED with life-threatening injuries or illness.