Welcome to the Emergency Department

We understand that this is a worrying time and you are very concerned about your child. Hopefully this information will answer some of the questions you may have about your visit.

Your journey through the Emergency Department

Once you have booked in at the Emergency Department reception, please take a seat in the waiting room.

Triage

You and your child should shortly be seen by one of our triage nurses who will perform a basic assessment of your child to see how unwell they are. Please listen for your name to be called, the waiting room can be noisy and difficult to hear at times.

Waiting and being called

You will then be directed back to one of our waiting rooms until you we call you to see one of our doctors or emergency nurse practitioners. If your child’s condition gets worse or you become concerned please tell a member of staff.

There should be a waiting time displayed on the screen in the waiting room. This is regularly updated and is the best way for you to get information on the current waiting times. You may be waiting longer than this, particularly if an emergency presents in the meantime. If you decide that you do not want to wait to be seen, then please let our reception staff know before you leave.

Getting treatment and going home

Once your child has been seen by a doctor or emergency nurse practitioners they may be:

• able to go home with advice and any treatment required
• kept in the department for a period of observation to make sure they are well enough to go home
• sent for investigations such as X-rays or blood tests

Once these have been done you will need to wait for the results so a decision can be made about any necessary treatment.

Occasionally the doctor or emergency nurse practitioners may think that it would be best for your child to be admitted to the hospital. If this happens, they will contact one of the doctors in the hospital to come and assess your child. In this case there will be an additional wait to see that doctor.

Food, drink, parking and toilets

Food is available from the vending machine, or the hospital Parkside Restaurant. There is a Costa Coffee and WHSmith in the main entrance and Starbucks and Co-op are also nearby. Please do not leave a child in the department unaccompanied and if you want to leave to get food or drink, please let a member of staff know.

There is a water fountain just before the doors into the clinical area, near consultation rooms 3 and 4.

Parking

There is parking in Q-park on Durham Road as well as on street parking.

Toilets and baby change

There are toilets in the main waiting room which have baby change facilities inside.

Acceptable behaviour

Whilst we know this is a stressful time, we will not accept any violence or verbal aggression towards any member of staff. Anybody who is behaving in a violent or aggressive manner will be asked to leave and security will be called. Please remember that there are many small children in the department who are influenced by what adults say and do.

Useful resources

Whilst you wait, you may find some of the information at these links useful:

Sheffield Children’s Resource Library

Here are some of our information resources on a variety of conditions and treatments.

A lot of people find our Family Wellbeing resource useful – with details of how you can get support to increase your income, access essentials, and get involved in local groups.

Mental health support 

Resources to support young people’s mental health:  Support for young people’s mental health 

Healthier Together

www.sybhealthiertogether.nhs.uk

This is a website with general health information for parents and children, particularly focussing on common childhood conditions and when to seek medical help, as well as problems some of our adolescent patients may be facing.

WiFi

Free NHS WiFi is available at all our sites for patients, parents and visitors. To connect follow these simple steps:

1. Select ‘NHS WiFi’ on the WiFi network list on your phone, tablet or laptop and enter the password ‘ho5pital’.
2. You will then have to authenticate using one of the required methods (Google, Facebook, Twitter or text message). If the authentication page doesn’t appear automatically you may need to open your browser.
3. Once you have signed up, you will be redirected to an NHS landing page and your WiFi connection will be active.

Feedback

We aim to provide a positive experience on your visit to the emergency department. If you have a concern about your care, please speak to a member of staff. If you would prefer to make a complaint or speak to our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) please visit our feedback page: How to complain about or comment

Thank you

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we help every child get the care they need.