No one wants to be in A&E 

But what if the worst does happen and you, or a loved one, has to visit a local A&E or urgent treatment centre?

The emergency departments of our hospitals are only for real emergencies – life threatening or serious conditions.

Our local NHS teams provide exceptional care whenever someone needs them most.

They do this even in the most difficult circumstances.

And the circumstances across the NHS are incredibly difficult this year.

The professionals in our A&Es and urgent treatment centres are there to care for us – when the worst DOES happen, we can depend on them.

That’s why we are hard at work planning a number of improvements to help staff and patients when they are in the emergency department.

If you are a patient in A&E, you may feel vulnerable. Or anxious. Some people describe feeling terribly low – after all, no one wants to be in A&E.

As your local hospital charity, we can’t magic the queues away for patients, nor can we create extra hours in the day for staff. But we CAN do make the experience of being in that environment more bearable.

• Brighter spaces.
• More comfortable areas for staff and patients to sit.
• Activities for children and teenagers to keep them distracted when waiting for their appointment.
• Calm spaces for people with dementia, neurodivergent people, and those with mental health needs.
• Good, healthy food at low prices available for patients to buy while they wait.

But we can’t do any of this without you.

You can help us accelerate these changes by taking part in our A&E Shift Challenge or making a donation to our emergency department appeal.