Coming to the Emergency Department

Children are initially assessed by a nurse when they arrive in the Emergency Department. This process is called 'triage'. Triage allows us to decide how urgently a child / young person needs to be seen. We can then prioritise those that need us most.

Please note that the RHC Emergency Department operates a One Parent Policy.

Initial assessment  of patients presenting to the department is carried out in the most appropriate area of the department, determined by the nature and severity of your child / young person’s condition.  Some patients may be transferred directly to the Clinical Decisions Unit (CDU) for this first assessment under the paediatric medical team. 

Your child may receive medical care from a clinician either a Doctor or an Advanced Nurse Practitioner.

Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) and Emergency Nurse Practitioners (ENPs) work alongside doctors in the Department. Nurse Practitioners have undergone advanced training to enable them to manage children presenting with a wide variety of conditions including those with complex medical needs.

After initial assessment, stabilisation and treatment, your child / young person will either be discharged home or admitted and transferred to an inpatient ward. We work closely with all inpatient services within the hospital and our pre-hospital teams to ensure  the highest standard of care for our patients.