Your visit to the Emergency Department (ED). What to do if you feel overwhelmed.

Why have I been given this information?

The Emergency Department, or ED, can be a busy, noisy and overwhelming place. You may find it difficult to be there. This information tells you what you can do that might make your ED visit a bit easier.

Do I have to tell the ED reception that I have arrived?

Yes. You can book in with them, or you can ask someone else who is with you to do it for you. 

Remember to give the reception staff your mobile phone number.

Do I have to wait in the waiting area at the ED?

Please stay in the ED until you have been assessed by the nurse. They may need you to stay in the ED until you are seen by a doctor, because it is safer for you. 

If they think it is safe for you to leave the ED, you may wait somewhere else, as long as you have a mobile phone that is switched on and the sound is turned up. The team will call you when they are ready to see you.  

You can wait in your car, or in one of the other places marked on the map below. They include:

• the penguin foyer
• Costas
• serenity garden
• picnic tables by Diabetes Centre
• main entrance
• League of Friend’s café
• chapel
• Peabodys restaurant

Can staff still communicate with me if I use different ways to communicate?

Yes.  If you use any alternative communication methods, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate them.

Will I be seen quickly?

The order patients are seen depends on how unwell they are. We have to make sure that the most unwell people are seen first. 

This may mean that you are waiting for a while. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to reduce your stressors while you wait. There are staff in the waiting room, who you can talk to if you need to.  

You are welcome to find ways to pass the time and distract you if that helps. This includes phones, iPads, any hobbies or just chatting.

Map of quieter waiting areas in Worthing Hospital