Department of Health

Website of the Department of Health

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Emergency care

Each year, over five million people call 999 and nearly 11 million visit accident and emergency departments across England. Emergency care helps give people the urgent treatment they need, when they need it. Emergency care is currently undergoing a massive modernisation programme, the details of which you can find in this section.

Latest updates

Emergency Services Review

The Emergency Services Review aims to provide focus and support to local health communities to improve the effectiveness of emergency care, enhance patient safety and achieve national emergency care standards

Reforming emergency care: 10 years on

This 2007 report looks at how A&E services have been transformed, thanks to the hard work and professionalism of NHS staff, and their willingness to work in new ways.

Additional links

Also on this site:

Bed capacity ready reckoner

Checklists and other resources for frontline staff including a simple desktop Ready Reckoner enabling you to take pre-emptive management action to prevent a beds crisis.

Emergency Medical and Surgical Admissions guidance

Extending the high quality of care within A&E to the rest of the emergency pathway and further embedding the operational standard.

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