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A&E

toffuna101toffuna101 Posts: 1,502 Extreme Poster
in Health & Wellbeing
if youre 16 and 17 do you go to the children's emergency department or the adult's emergency department? im asking because its different for each country and for me i still have to see my paediatrician until i turn 18.

Comments

  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,577 Part of The Furniture
    In the UK I think there's just one A&E department where everyone goes. From there, someone will speak to you and triage you to whatever specialist you need to see.

    Are you from outside the UK @toffuna101?
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  • toffuna101toffuna101 Posts: 1,502 Extreme Poster
    no im in the uk, specifically england @JustV its just that when i went to A&E twice there were separate areas for children and adults.
  • eylaheylah Posts: 4,412 Community Veteran
    when i turned 16 i was sent to amu bc im to old for childrens but was to young for adults.
    keep your face always toward the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you. 🤍
  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,577 Part of The Furniture
    Aah good to know @toffuna101 - I wonder if it's a local thing. The couple of times I've been there was one main point of entry. But doing some research online it looks like it varies.
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    All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
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  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,577 Part of The Furniture
    Do you need to go to A&E right now by the way?
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    All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
    The truth resists simplicity.
  • toffuna101toffuna101 Posts: 1,502 Extreme Poster
    eylah wrote: »
    when i turned 16 i was sent to amu bc im to old for childrens but was to young for adults.
    ah ok. i dont think theres an amu in the A&E i went to.
    JustV wrote: »
    Do you need to go to A&E right now by the way?
    no i dont fortunately. i hope somebody confirms whether i need to be in the adult's section or the children's one just in case i need to and im 16/17 in the future.

  • independent_independent_ Community Champion Posts: 9,014 Supreme Poster
    There’s 2 A&Es near me. One has a department for children, and one is a free for all (to be fair they’re both a free for all but that’s just A&E in general). I’m not sure on the age I can’t lie. I wondered this myself when I was that age but think I went to the adults one from 16. There seems to be a bit of an overlap in paediatric care and adult care from 16-18. If you’re under 16 you’re definitely a child, and if you’re over 18 you’re an adult, but there’s that inbetween stage where you’re a bit of a kiddult and no one really knows. Biologically by that age you’re pretty much an adult though, and as far as the law goes, you can consent to your own medical treatment at 16, so it makes sense that at 16 you’re medically considered an adult.
    “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
  • eylaheylah Posts: 4,412 Community Veteran
    edited September 17
    amu is the ward your taken to not department in a&e. sry for not making it clear lol. just searched up to be clear lol.
    keep your face always toward the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you. 🤍
  • toffuna101toffuna101 Posts: 1,502 Extreme Poster
    independent_ wrote: »
    There’s 2 A&Es near me. One has a department for children, and one is a free for all (to be fair they’re both a free for all but that’s just A&E in general). I’m not sure on the age I can’t lie. I wondered this myself when I was that age but think I went to the adults one from 16. There seems to be a bit of an overlap in paediatric care and adult care from 16-18. If you’re under 16 you’re definitely a child, and if you’re over 18 you’re an adult, but there’s that inbetween stage where you’re a bit of a kiddult and no one really knows. Biologically by that age you’re pretty much an adult though, and as far as the law goes, you can consent to your own medical treatment at 16, so it makes sense that at 16 you’re medically considered an adult.
    thats true. 16/17 is a weird age. youre not a kid but youre not an adult either. you can legally join the army at 16 and can move out (of course youd have to have your parent's permission to rent or buy a house). at the A&E and hospital i was at i was on a ward that was for under 16s since i was 15 at the time. then when you turn 16 you go to an adult ward, so i presume its the same for A&E.
    eylah wrote: »
    amu is the ward your taken to not department in a&e. sry for not making it clear lol. just searched up to be clear lol.
    ah ok, thanks for elaborating.
  • eylaheylah Posts: 4,412 Community Veteran
    its confusing bc in one hospital i was in amu but then other hospital was in kids ( i go adults now bc im 18) but when i was 17 i was in kids area so its confusing depending on hospital.
    keep your face always toward the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you. 🤍
  • toffuna101toffuna101 Posts: 1,502 Extreme Poster
    alright, fair enough. when i was 15 i had a surgery at a hospital and they had a 17-year-old there in the kids section so it definitely depends on the hospital. honestly though im not sure if a 17-year-old would like being there with a 5-year-old for example since they can now drive but for me personally id like to be in the children's ward just so that my one of my parents can stay there overnight with me.
  • toffuna101toffuna101 Posts: 1,502 Extreme Poster
    and also i forgot to mention the other side of hospitals. a 16-year-old would probably struggle to be with middle-aged people and old people because of the age gap, which is why we should probably have young people wards for 16-19 year olds. ive seen someone on mumsnet comment about that in this debate between whether 16/17 year olds should be in children's wards or not and i think its honestly a great idea. im not sure where theyd get the funding though. this probably wont be implemented due to the nhs' lack of money but still. i know they have adolescent wards for 13-18 year olds like in psychiatric hospitals but theyre less common.
  • Chloe234Chloe234 Community Champion Posts: 3,507 Community Veteran
    edited September 17
    When I was in hospital at 15 I went to them and then got sent through to the children's part which was where they checked things first but once I was put on a ward it was an adolescent ward so i think it depends on the hospitals
    🦆💜🦆💜🦆
  • independent_independent_ Community Champion Posts: 9,014 Supreme Poster
    I wouldn’t usually recommend taking much info from mumsnet, however that’s quite interesting that there’s been a debate on there. It’s interesting to see what parents and young people think, I might have to go digging for that thread later. Young people’s wards are a good idea, but like you say, would be hard to fund in the current climate.
    “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
  • toffuna101toffuna101 Posts: 1,502 Extreme Poster
    youre lucky to have an adolescent ward. i wish there was one in my local hospitals
  • Millie2787Millie2787 Community Champion Posts: 5,194 Part of The Furniture
    Where I’m doing my training we have a children’s hospital and opposite is the adult hospital- any children that are 17/18 are sent over the road to the adult A&E as often Paeds services stop seeing children after there over the age of 16 anyways
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  • toffuna101toffuna101 Posts: 1,502 Extreme Poster
    oh ok, thanks for the info
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