Emergency department

Emergency only

You should only come to the Emergency Department at Colchester Hospital or Ipswich Hospital if you are really unwell or have had an accident.

If you do need to come to the Emergency Department, a nurse will see you and decide where you need to go for treatment.

You may then be sent to a different part of the department, depending on what is wrong with you.

Tests conducted to help you diagnose your problem:

• X-Ray
• Blood tests
• ECG
• Urine tests.

Once all your test results have arrived you may:

• be sent home
• be admitted to a ward
• be sent to the Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU) for further tests or an overnight stay
• be sent to the Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU) for further tests.

Colchester and Ipswich hospitals’ Emergency Departments and the urgent treatment centre at Colchester Hospital remain open to patients who need urgent and emergency help. If you have a health concern that’s not an emergency, but you’re thinking about coming to A&E, call NHS 111 first.

Colchester Hospital Emergency Department and minor injuries unit

The Emergency Department is on the ground floor of the main block.

Colchester Emergency Department Accessibility information from AccessAble (Opens in a new window)

Colchester Hospital also has a minor injuries unit.

For more information about conditions please go to the NHS website (Opens in a new window).

Ipswich Hospital Emergency Department

The Emergency department is located in the Garrett Anderson Centre – entrance 1A.

As well as emergency help, we offer:

• Emergency ultrasound
• Children’s illness and injury assessment
• Consultant outpatient review clinic
• Physiotherapy clinic
• Sports and exercise medicine in association with Ipswich Town Football Club

Ipswich Emergency Department Accessibility information from AccessAble (Opens in a new window)

Minor injury units at community hospitals