Accident and emergency
Our hospitals provide emergency medical services for our local communities across east London and further afield. At Barts Health, our patients come first – and every year, we care for more than 300,000 emergency patients, including some of the most seriously ill and injured people in the capital.
Please see our webpage Should I go to A&E? if you are unsure about what to do if you think you might need to attend the Emergency Department
NHS services continue to provide urgent and emergency care. Please don’t hesitate to contact NHS 111 for advice if you or a member of your family is unwell. It’s important that you don’t delay seeking treatment. Our hospitals are safe and we are here to care for you. If you need to come into the hospital for emergency medical treatment, please go to your nearest hospital or dial 999 for an ambulance.
If you have a minor injury or health problem, then please call 111, which will direct callers to the most appropriate service.
Conditions that can be treated at a minor injuries unit include cuts and grazes, broken and dislocated bones, minor burns and scalds, bites and stings, strains and sprains, minor head and facial injuries, minor eye and ear injuries, rib injuries, management of simple boils and simple back pain and injuries.
Our minor injuries departments are a walk-in service and you do not need an appointment.
Whipps Cross Hospital
At Whipps Cross, the minor injuries unit is just by the entrance to the A&E department on the ground floor in Red Zone and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
St Bartholomew's Hospital
The minor injuries unit at St Bartholomew's Hospital is a walk-in service for people living and working in the City and neighbouring boroughs. It is based in the Kenton and Lucas block. The service is open from Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm with the last patient booked in at 3.45pm. Please note, the minor injuries unit is currently closed and will open again at 8am on Tuesday 3 January 2023.
For more information about what to do if it is not an emergency, please click here.
Disabled access
For information on disabled access to our Emergency Departments please visit the DisabledGo website using the links below. For disabled access information to:
East London Emergency Medicine - CESR Programme
Why CESR?
CESR allows doctors who have the knowledge, experience and skills, but have not enrolled in a formal training programme, to go on the Specialist Register and be appointed as Consultants. Some doctors may have trained abroad, others may have never enrolled in a training programme while others may have left their programme perhaps for personal reasons, a portfolio career and/or the freedom to do what they want. Whatever your reason it’s important to know before embarking on this journey that the CESR application is similar to, but requires more time, work and money, than a training programme and it’s important to have realistic expectations. Before you decide if CESR is right for you, you should ask yourself first if you should apply for a training programme as it is the much easier path to becoming a Consultant. If you have considered this and still wish to proceed then we will ensure that your CESR pathway will be well supported and give you the guidance needed.
How long will it take?
The CESR process is easiest if you collect and organise your evidence as you go along rather than scrambling at the end. Our Fellowship is akin to a traditional training programme with a structured system designed in-house and check-ins along the way to make sure you stay on track.
This process will take a minimum of three years if you have already completed MRCEM/ACCS, otherwise, it will be five years.
You need to be motivated, organised, and able to budget your time and money wisely but with the support of the CESR team here we will get you there. Some hospitals may offer CESR programmes where they offer the rotations needed, but if there is no CESR lead who has gone through the process themselves often many fellows may feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do and do not submit their CESR. In some hospitals it may be possible to get a Locum Consultant post before you’ve submitted your CESR, however, to get a Substantive post you need to be on the Specialist Register. We will guide and support you to make sure that within 3-5 years you submit your CESR.
Why east London?
This post is ideal for candidates looking to gain experience in Emergency Medicine in a well-supported teaching hospital and Major Trauma Centre (MTC) environment.
The successful candidate will join a friendly, highly motivated, consultant-led team delivering high-quality emergency care to East London. The department receives a full range of emergencies from the local area in addition to major trauma from North East London and Essex with a total of 180,000 patients seen each year.
Benefits of CESR in East London
- You get bespoke training depending on your needs
- Each fellow has a mentor and at your Appraisal each year we will set out your Personal Development Plan realistically based on your circumstances
- Plan your future and know where you’ll be and when for the next 3-5 years
- Train to become a Consultant in East London with knowledge of the local population
- Self rostering
CESR Fellowship Programme
If you are new to Emergency Medicine then enrol on our programme from Year 1 to 5. If you already have MRCEM and two years of experience at least in Emergency Medicine then pick three years based on your requirements. Note that the GMC stresses that evidence older than 5 years is not strongly weighted so we advise you to repeat any rotations which may be older than 5 years. We offer 3-month rotations, although if you feel you do not need this amount of time we do have a system in place to spend some of your Educational Development Time (EDT) in Anaesthetics, ITU and Paediatric EM if you already have significant experience and wish to supplement some WBPAs:
Junior Fellows = 3hrs EDT per week
Senior Fellows = 80% Clinical / 20% Educational Developmental Time in keeping with RCEM recommendations
Each year will be spent with 9 months in ED followed by either;
- 3 months Anaesthetics
- 3 months Critical Care
- 3 months Paediatric EM
- Year 4 & 5 if required - all ED with 20% EDT to focus on getting FRCEM and Management Portfolio and a secondment in Acute Medicine if require
Cost
(as of August 2022)
Before embarking on CESR it’s important to consider the costs;
- £1727 - GMC application fee plus a review fee of £750 within
- 12 months if unsuccessful first time round vs £452 for CCT
Mandatory courses:
- ATLS £600, APLS/EPALS £600, ALS min £400, MIMMS £195
- Level 1 Ultrasound Course £350
Helpful courses;
- Pan London US Course - £110
- (Post submission) Interview skills workshop - around £400
Exams:
- MRCEM Primary £330
- MRCEM OSCE £450
- MRCEM SBA £335
- FRCEM SBA £345
- FRCEM OSCE £465
RCEM Fees
- £316 for a Kaizen eportfolio and RCEM learning modules until you get FRCEM and then it’s £756
*If you’re a trainee then you get an unlimited study budget towards courses (up to £1000 per course)
In most Trusts Fellows will get a £400 study budget a year towards courses however we offer £1000 STUDY BUDGET in the final year of the programme.
Remember you can claim tax relief for all these fees: https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/professional-fees-and-subscriptions*
Questions or interested in joining us?
Reach out via email:
eastlondonemergencymedicine@gmail.com
Why choose us
Our hospitals attract a high concentration of complex cases and as a result we have some of Britain’s leading specialists on our team. All our patients benefit from this expertise. In addition, our teaching hospital status means that we have a higher proportion of doctors and nurses to patients than non-teaching hospitals.
Rapid response
Our Expert teams of emergency medics are taking the Emergency Department to the patient in rapid response cars across North East London.
The Physician Response Unit (PRU) is a collaboration between Barts Health NHS Trust, London’s Air Ambulance and the London Ambulance Service. It is staffed by a senior emergency medicine doctor and an ambulance clinician, and carries advanced medication, equipment and treatments usually only found in hospital. The service responds to 999 calls, treating patients in their homes who would otherwise have often required an ambulance transfer to hospital.
The COVID 19 response means that the service has established additional services and new ways to working to ensure patients receive care in their own homes. These in include savings visits to hopistal from vulnerable and at risk patinets, enabling early discharge from The Royal London, Whipps Cross and Newham hospitals and supporting palliative and inpatient reviews of care in the community.
First class care
We are committed to offering every patient the best possible care, in comfortable surroundings, with access to the very latest therapies and treatments.
We will greet you on arrival and arrange for you to see a specialist as soon as possible. We know that coming to hospital in an emergency can be a distressing and stressful experience and we will work hard to make you feel as comfortable as possible during your visit.
World-class trauma services
Patients who have been involved in major accidents and emergencies receive the best medical care available at our trauma units. Each of our centres has been recently renovated, enabling our teams to provide high standards of clinical care in modern surroundings.
We provide a pioneering multi-disciplinary approach that has been shown to improve the outcome for patients and save lives. Trauma patients, who typically have multiple injuries, are each assigned a team with experts from different specialties – the experts work together to provide the best care that they can for the patient. The teams include at least one resident consultant, nurse specialists, and experts in imaging (x-rays, CT scanning etc). We bring in support from all major medical services, including paediatrics, as required.
In 2010, Barts Health was instrumental in establishing the London Trauma Network – this is the largest network of trauma hospitals across the UK, with The Royal London Hospital (London’s busiest major trauma centre) at its hub. It has received international recognition and saves the lives of at least 100 people a year.
For patients
Hospital emergency departments can be very busy and although the staff will welcome you and make you feel as comfortable as possible, priority will always be given to the most urgent cases.
You will be assessed by a nurse or doctor when you first arrive to determine the severity of your situation and you should expect to have tests and procedures as part of the clinical decision process for your care. You will be asked for your consent for this, where possible (if not, your next of kin will be asked to consent on your behalf).
If you have a minor injury or heath problem, then please do not visit the Emergency Department as this is only for patients with life-threatening conditions.
Emergency Departments (ED), also known as Accident and Emergency Departments or A&E, are for patients with major or life-threatening illnesses or injuries. For example, an emergency is:
- If someone has stopped breathing or their heart has stopped.
- The person is experiencing severe chest pain or is having trouble breathing.
- There is severe bleeding from any part of the body.
- The person is, or has been, unconscious.
- There has been a serious head injury.
- The person has a severe burn/scald.
- The person has a severe allergic reaction.
- The person has numbness or weakness down one side and/or has problems understanding what you are saying.
- There is a suspected broken bone or dislocation.
- The person is experiencing severe stomach ache that cannot be treated by over-the-counter remedies.
- Someone has overdosed or poisoned themselves.
If you have time, please bring any medicines that you are currently taking as this will help us to plan your treatment.
Minor health issues that will not be seen in the emergency department can include:
- Blood pressure checks
- Dressing care
- Emergency contraception and advice
- Fractures
- Hay fever
- Insect and animal bites
- Minor burns and strains
- Minor cuts and bruises
- Stitches (sutures)
- Stomach aches
- Stop smoking support
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
If you have a minor health issue, then please do one of the following:
- Contact your GP or dentist
- Call NHS Direct on 111 for confidential advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year or visit the NHS Direct website here.
- Visit an NHS walk-in centre. For your closest centre, visit the NHS Choices website.
Facilities within our emergency departments include:
- Toilets (including disabled toilets)
- Baby feeding and changing areas
- Hot and cold drinks machines or access to a coffee shop or restaurant in the wider hospital
- Quiet rooms (in the wider hospital)
If you or your family members do not speak or read English, an interpreter can be made available to you during your visit [add link to your visit – support for people who don’t speak English]. Please speak to a member of staff for advice.
For clinicians
Please direct your patients to their closest emergency department for treatment.
Newham University Hospital Emergency Department
Reception on 020 7363 9200 (Urgent Care) or 020 7363 8124 (Emergency Department)
The Royal London Hospital Emergency Department
Reception: 020 359 40004 Children’s Reception: 020 359 40005
St Bartholomew’s Hospital Minor injuries unit
Tel (reception): 020 3465 6843 or 020 3465 5869
Emergency Dental Services (Whitechapel)
Tel: 020 7377 7151
Whipps Cross University Hospital Emergency Department
Tel (main switchboard): 020 8539 5522