Visits to A&E

What you need to know before coming to our Children's A&E

An emergency is a clinical situation that requires medical attention within a relatively short period, either for treatment or because the symptoms suggest a potentially serious illness. Therefore, children in these circumstances are given priority care.

To help our service run smoothly and avoid unnecessary waiting times, only visit us if the patient is ill. In Catalonia, the Salut Respon service is available, which provides outpatient medical care by calling the telephone number 061. A team of health professionals can advise you whether it is necessary to visit our emergency service. In addition, during working hours from Monday to Friday, you can consult your family pediatrician, who will advise you whether it is necessary to go to A&E.

So that we can better care for your children, we ask for:

Your cooperation and understanding are important for us to provide the best care. Before coming to A&E, read the following guidelines.

Avoid bringing a patient with a non-urgent problem to A&E. These visits delay care for children suffering from genuine emergencies.
In the waiting room, try to keep these rules in mind:
- No more than two accompanying persons per patient.
- Do not be noisy.
- Do not bring children who are not sick.

What Children's A&E is not

The A&E is not a consulting room. The medical team provides the care to solve an acute and specific problem; it is not continuous care. Therefore, it is preferable, whenever possible, for the child to be seen by their pediatrician, who can provide continuous care and knows the patient best.
A&E cannot bring forward scheduled appointments. It can resolve an emergency, but it cannot modify the waiting list that each speciality has in the Hospital.
If another specialist at the Hospital is monitoring the patient, it is advisable to contact them to solve problems derived from the child's pathology, and not use A&E for this purpose.

Care provided in Children’s A&E

How care is provided in Children’s A&E

In the Children’s Accident and Emergency Department, we prioritise the care of visits using a validated and standardised triage method.

This system allows for an initial assessment of each patient. It classifies them into five levels according to the priority required for the visit, regardless of the order of arrival at the centre.

What is the emergency care circuit like?

1.Admission to A&E

On arrival at A&E, you will go to the Admissions desk, where you will provide the details of the patient to be visited. You will be given a bracelet with identification data that you must immediately place on the patient’s wrist (or ankle in infants). This bracelet must be put on immediately.

You will also be given a ticket with an alphanumeric code that you must keep for your stay in A&E. It will be used to alert you via the screens in the waiting rooms. From now on, we recommend you keep an eye on the screens. When your code appears on the screen, followed by the word “triage”, you must go to the indicated door where the Triage nurse will meet you. This notification is made, except in exceptional situations, in less than 15 minutes.

If you wish, another option for receiving information about when the patient will be seen is registering on the Hospital App and using it to access the Avisa’m option and tap in the ticket number. This way, you will receive a notification on your mobile phone when the patient is due to be seen. A QR code is available in the waiting room to register for this application.

2. Triage

Initially, the patient will be seen in a triage box by an expert triage nurse to determine the patient’s priority of care and the most appropriate speciality for their care. Triage is important to organise patient care appropriately.

There are five levels of priority:

Level 1: Resuscitation (red). Extreme health condition that threatens the patient’s life. Requires immediate medical intervention.
Level 2: Emergency (orange). High-risk situation that poses a potential threat to their health. Must receive prompt medical attention.
Level 3: Preferred (yellow). Acute, non-life threatening condition. Requires non-immediate medical consultation.
Level 4: Non-preferred (green). A health condition that may be acute, but does not affect the patient’s general condition, and does not pose an obvious risk.
Level 5: Non-urgent (blue). Clinical condition related to acute or chronic problems. Does not pose a risk and can be managed on a delayed basis.

You will be able to know the triage level assigned to the patient by asking the triage nurse and/or by looking at the colour of the sticker that will be attached to the identification bracelet once the triage assessment has been carried out.

The screens in the waiting rooms show the time at which the last level 4 and level 5 patients who A&E saw arrived at the department. This information can be used as a guide to gauge the delay time for levels 4 and 5.

3. Consultation box

The visit takes place in a consultation box. The screen displays the identification code assigned to you on arrival at the emergency department, followed by the box you must go to. To do this, you must go to the door marked “Consultations”, and the healthcare staff will be waiting to accompany you to the box where the emergency visit will take place.

4. Complementary tests

During the visit, it may be decided to carry out additional tests (blood or urine tests, x-rays, etc.) or consult other specialists. The healthcare staff will tell you whether you should stay in the box or move to another location. You will be informed of the results of these tests as soon as possible.

5. Discharge

Once the necessary steps have been taken to attend the consultation, the healthcare staff will provide you with a discharge report. If you have any questions, do not forget to ask them before leaving A&E. Due to the Data Protection Law (Organic Law 7/2021, of 26 May), medical information cannot be given over the telephone.

If the patient needs to be admitted, we will provide you with the necessary information for their stay at the hospital.

FAQs

Does the number given to me at Admission follow an order?

No, it is a code created from the patient’s medical record number to preserve the confidentiality of the patient’s identity.

Is the doctor’s visit on a first-come, first-served basis?

No, patients will be seen according to the urgency determined in triage (levels 1 to 5) and the speciality assigned.

How can I find out what level of triage has been assigned?

You will be able to find out the triage level by asking the triage nurse and/or by looking at the colour of the sticker that will be attached to the identification bracelet after the triage assessment:

Level 1: red
Level 2: orange
Level 3: yellow
Level 4: green
Level 5: blue

How can I find out how much time I have to wait to be seen?

Waiting time information by triage level is displayed on the waiting room screens every 10 minutes. Only the delay for triage levels 4 and 5 will be shown.

This information is for guidance purposes only, as the order in which you are seen depends not only on the level of triage and speciality to visit you, but also on all the unforeseen incidents that may occur in an Emergency Department.

Can I wait somewhere other than the waiting room?

Yes, but in a place close to the waiting room. To find out when the patient will be seen, you must register on the Hospital App and use it to access the Avisa’m option and tap in the ticket number. This way, you will receive a notification on your mobile phone when the patient is due to be seen.

A QR code is available in the waiting room to register for this application.

What do I do if the patient’s condition changes while waiting?

If the patient’s condition changes during the waiting period, you should discuss this with the triage nurse for reassessment.

Is there somewhere for warming up the child’s food?

The waiting room has a microwave. There are also vending machines for drinks, food and basic necessities to make your stay in A&E more comfortable.

How can I notify the medical staff when I am inside the box?

If you have any questions or doubts, you can notify the healthcare team by pressing the red button in the room where you are located.

What documentation will I receive at the time of discharge?

You will receive the corresponding care report at the time of discharge, which will later be included in the “La meva salut” application. Your doctor/pediatrician must be aware of this report.

You will also receive, if necessary, the official prescription to take to the pharmacy.

Where can I ask for a doctor's note?

Once you have the discharge report, you can request it at the Admissions desk. You will be given an attendance note stating the time of arrival and discharge.

Can A&E bring forward scheduled visits?

No, it can deal with an emergency, but it cannot interfere with the waiting list each speciality has in the hospital.