Phone First Service re Emergency Departments (ED) and Minor Injuries Units in NI

We are emailing you about an update to the Phone First service which is being trialled across a number of Emergency Departments (ED) and Minor Injuries Units in Northern Ireland. The Phone First service is about improving patient safety and reducing the risk of Covid-19 infection and transmission by reducing overcrowding and long waits in EDs.  The Phone First service is designed for patients who are feeling unwell and considering travelling to an ED with an injury or illness which requires urgent treatment but is not immediately life threatening. 

 

The following hospitals and services will launch Phone First this week:

 

It is important to note that Emergency Departments will always be a safe place for patients, and if they attend an ED without ringing first, they will not be turned away.  If their condition is not life threatening they may have to wait longer or be signposted to another service.