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The Urgent Care at Night (UCaN) service at the Royal Sussex County Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital
Rather be at home? Now UCaN with a booked appointment!
What is this information about?
This information is about the choices you may have if you are waiting for urgent care overnight. It explains:
- how you may be able to go home and come back the next day for your urgent care appointment or be managed remotely
- how we decide whether going home to wait or being managed remotely is a safe option for you
- the symptoms which mean you must come back into A&E or call 999
- what you should do while you are waiting at home for your appointment
- what you should do if you no longer need your appointment or want to cancel it
Why have I been given this information?
You have been given this information because you have come to the A&E (Emergency Department) and we have checked your illness or injury (you have had a clinical assessment). Your condition means you need an Urgent Care appointment within the next 24 hours. Reading this information will help you to know what to expect from your care and what you should do if you are able to go home to wait for your appointment.
What must I do about my appointment?
(correct option is circled – print PDF at the top of this page)
You should:
A. Return to us at
OR
B. Wait for a phone call from our remote triage team. They will call before 2pm tomorrow.
What is the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC)?
The Urgent Treatment Centre specialises treats people who have minor injuries and illnesses and is staffed with a mix of GP doctors and Practitioners who are specialists in this.
When is the UTC open?
The UTC is open between 8am and 10pm.
What happens if I need urgent treatment but the UTC is not open?
The last referrals to the UTC are made in the evening. This is to allow the UTC team to see those people who were referred earlier and are already waiting.
If the UTC cannot see you before 10pm:
- You can choose to wait overnight and be seen by the main Emergency Department
Be aware,
patients are seen in order of how urgently they need care, alongside all the other emergency patients
you may have a wait of several hours to be seen by a clinician when the UTC re-opens at 8am.
or
- After we have checked your condition (you have been triaged), if we find your illness or injury does not need very urgent treatment (is not time critical), we may offer you the opportunity to either:
- go home and return for treatment the following day
- be remotely managed by the UTC staff
Is everyone offered the chance to return the next day or be remotely managed?
No. These are not suitable options for every condition. A member of our Triage team will talk with you about whether these options might be right for you.
Be aware,
people with emergency conditions or conditions that require urgent (time critical) treatment will never be asked to go home or offered the opportunity to do so.
Safety.
What do you do to check whether it is safe for me to be offered one of these options?
- A doctor or nurse trained in the nationally recognised triage process will check your condition. This helps us to:
- see patients with life threatening conditions first
- identify people who do not need treatment straight away.
Be aware
if we have told you can return tomorrow or be reviewed remotely via phone call, we have assessed that you are safe to do so against strict criteria.
If you have any of these symptoms overnight do return to A&E or phone 999 straight away:
- chest pain
- collapse
- shortness of breath
- confusion
- pain that you cannot control with your usual pain relief medication or pain relief that we have prescribed for you.
- new bleeding
- severe headache
- loss of vision
- numbness in your arms or legs.
What can I do to care for myself while I am waiting for my appointment?
We are sorry that you are injured or not feeling well. You will be seen or spoken to by one of our team when we review your booked appointment.
While you are waiting for your appointment do:
- take your own simple pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen regularly if needed. Be aware, do not take more than 4 grams of paracetamol within 24 hours.
- rest any Injury. Elevate the injured part of your body if you are able. For example, rest an injured foot on a footstool.
- try to get proper sleep
- have warm drinks or medicine such as simple linctus ( thick, liquid medicine, usually sweet – such as cough syrup) if you have a cough or sore throat
- drink plenty (stay hydrated) and try to eat as usual
What if I have a long-term condition?
For management of long term conditions it is usually better to arrange an appointment with your own GP practice.
What must I do if I no longer want my UTC appointment or have to cancel it for any another reason?
Do let us know as soon as possible if for any reason you:
- are unable to make your booked appointment
- want to cancel your appointment.
- wish to try another service instead of the UTC.
Please contact
Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) Hospital Reception
Eastern Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 5BE
01273 696955
Ext. 67349 or 64261
Please contact
Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) Reception
Lewes Rd, Haywards Heath, RH16 4EX
01444 441881
Ext. 68341
Be aware,
do not use these numbers if you need medical advice.
What should I do if I need medical advice?
- Phone NHS 111 (open 24 hours a day)
- Contact a ‘Pharmacy First’ pharmacy.
You can use the NHS symptom checker to find further information on your symptoms and the best place to seek medical advice or help for them.
In an emergency:
Phone 999 and ask for ambulance.
A form for staff use only is included in the PDF version (Please print the PDF at the top of the page for this)
This leaflet is intended for patients receiving care in Brighton and Hove and Haywards Heath.
The information in this leaflet is for guidance purposes only and is in no way intended to replace professional clinical advice by a qualified practitioner.
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Visit our website www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/research-and-innovation/information-for-patients-and-public or scan the QR code: 