Emergency Department

NHS 111 first

If you need medical help fast, but your condition is not life threatening, you can call NHS 111 or visit NHS111 online (24/7- free to call).  Speak toy trained advisors and experienced clinicians who can assess you, offer advice and direct you to the right place to get the medical care you need as quickly as possible. 

Face masks - Patients/visitors should wear a face mask in our hospitals, clinics and wards (unless exempt) - updated 3/1/23

Opening times - our Emergency Department at Hereford County Hospital is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

How to find Emergency Department and parking

• Find out how to find us.
  
  
• If you're bringing a friend or relative to the Emergency Department there is a short stay pay and display car park with limited spaces near the front of the Emergency Department. Please see further down this page re bringing a relative or friend with you.

Waiting times

You can access our Emergency Department waiting times here. 

• We continue to strive to see and treat all Emergency Department patients within four hours.
• How long you will have to wait will depend on the number of patients attending at the time and the complexity of their clinical need.

What to expect on arrival

• When you arrive at the Emergency Department, at the County Hospital in Hereford, as a patient, after registration, you will be assessed by a nurse who will determine the nature of your illness or injury and how urgent it is for you to be seen. Read more about what to expect on arrival.
  
  
• Visiting/patients being escorted - updated 17/10/22 - There are no specific visiting times - patients in ED can be escorted by one relative/carer while they receive treatment in the department

Emergency Department pitstop service

Watch our staff recognition video about our Emergency Depatment pitstop service, to help see and treat patients more quickly.  We have put a number of changes in place, new ways of working and services, to help us to see and treat patients more quickly in our Emergency Department, including the pitstop service and our Same Day Emergency Care Unit.

Same Day Emergency Care Unit (SDEC)

• Our Same Day Emergency Care Unit works alongside the Emergency Department allowing specialist hospital staff to rapidly assess and diagnose patients whose condition can be treated without the need for an overnight stay in hospital. 
• It operates seven days a week.
• Patients are referred to the unit by Emergency Department staff or their GP for conditions such as chest problems, abdominal pain, and seizures. 

If you have a minor injury or illness

If you have a minor illness or injury click on the link below to access information and contact details for: self care; local pharmacies; GP surgeries, out of hours GP access; emergency dental treatment; Minor Injury Units and when to call NHS 111.   

Please note: some Minor Injury Units CLOSED.  Please call NHS 111 if you need medical advice for minor illnesses or ailments. Find out about alternative NHS services 

Trauma status award

• We have been awarded trauma status which means we support the regional trauma centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Our role is to provide assessment and stabilisation of trauma patients before transfer to the trauma centre, and rehabilitation for local patients once they are fit for transfer back to Herefordshire.

Friends and Family Test

• The Friends and Family Test is a simple question that patients are asked about the care they have received.  The test is part of a  way of gathering patient feedback and driving improvement in NHS hospital services across the country. To find out more about the Friends and Family Test click here.