Our children’s A&E departments in the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital (The Alex), Worthing Hospital and St Richard’s Hospital see and treat children with illness, injury and mental health problems.
Our emergency departments are busy
Please help us to avoid overcrowding in A&E by attending alone with your child (just one parent/carer). No additional children or siblings should attend wherever possible.
Our accident and emergency (A&E) departments are often extremely busy. Children who are critically ill or injured may be seen before your child – even if they arrived after you.
If your child has a minor injury, you may be able to get help closer to home and faster at a minor injuries’ unit or urgent care centre. Please call NHS111 if you’re not sure where to go.
When to call 999 to get an ambulance for your child
It can be difficult to know when to call an ambulance and when to take your child to the accident and emergency department (A&E).
Call 999 if your child:
- stops breathing
- is struggling for breath (for example, you may notice them breathing fast, panting, becoming very wheezy, or see the muscles just under their ribcage sucking in when they breathe in)
- is unconscious or seems unaware of what’s going on
- has a cut that will not stop bleeding or is gaping open
- will not wake up
- has a fit for the first time, even if they seem to recover
When to take your child to A&E
Take your child to A&E if they:
- have a fever and are still sluggish, despite having paracetamol or ibuprofen
- have severe tummy (abdominal) pain
- have a leg or arm injury and cannot use the limb
- have swallowed a poison or tablets
Your nearest children’s A&E
Brighton
Dedicated children’s emergency department. For children up to 16 years old.
Ext 2364
01273 696955
Chichester
Separate children’s A&E facilities staffed by specialist paediatric nurses. For children up to 18 years old.
Worthing
Separate children’s A&E facilities staffed by specialist paediatric nurses. For children up to 18 years old.
What to expect on arrival at the emergency department
Please help us to avoid overcrowding in A&E this winter by attending Children’s A&E alone with your child (just one parent/carer). No additional children or siblings should attend wherever possible.
Please note COVID restrictions are still in place for the safety of our patients and staff. You must wear a mask.
- You’ll be asked to register at the desk.
- After registration, a triage nurse will assess your child. The nurse will check the nature of your child’s illness or injury and decide how urgently they should be seen.
- All children are treated based on clinical need, not arrival time, so, you may need to wait a while. Please bring a bottle of water, snack and extra clothing with you if you have time to do this.
- Your child will then be seen by a doctor, an advanced paediatric nurse practitioner or paediatric emergency nurse practitioner.
Where we are
Brighton
Our department is on Level 6 of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital which is situated on the main campus of the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Chichester
Worthing
Helpful resources
Child First Aid: visit the NHS children’s first aid page for advice for burns, cuts, swallowing non-edible objects/substances and more.
Leaflets
Search our children’s services leaflets to help you with your child’s condition.