Your visit to A&E

Upon arrival at A&E

You will be greeted by a member of staff at the screening desk and handed a number ticket and a form to complete. Please seat yourself in front of the reception desk and complete any required paperwork. You will be called forward by the receptionist, who will be seeing patients in order of ticket number. The receptionist will ask you for some personal details to register you onto our computer system. You will then be asked to take a seat outside the triage (initial assessment) rooms where you will be called by name to see a nurse or doctor. This process helps us decide how urgent your eye problem is and if it is vital for you to be seen at A&E today.

Please remember that the decision made about your treatment is based upon clinical expertise and your individual needs. We therefore ask that you respect our doctors’ or nurses’ decision on the treatment that has been considered best for you.

Please note that we have a zero tolerance to verbal and physical aggression shown towards our staff.

Length of your visit

We aim to see, treat, and discharge all patients within four hours. This is the national target for A&E departments, and we make every effort to see you within this time frame.

We appreciate your patience and understanding while waiting for our doctors or nurses to see and treat you.

During your wait

There is very limited seating space in the waiting area. Once you have been to see the triage team, we tend to prioritise this area for patients who are waiting to be seen. We therefore ask that you are accompanied by one person only whilst waiting to see the doctor or nurse.

• Priority may be given to children and patients who are generally unwell, as they may need to be seen more urgently.
• Patients with potentially contagious eye conditions will be asked to wait in a separate area.
• If you start feeling unwell while you are waiting, please tell a member of staff, who will ensure that you are assessed by our nursing or medical team and given the appropriate care.
• If you are experiencing pain, please tell the triage nurse or doctor, who can give you some pain relief medication, either in the form of eye drops or tablets.
• If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to approach any of our staff – we are always happy to help.

Facilities available during your A&E visit

• Toilets

The nearest toilets can be found along the corridor next to the triage cubicles – please follow the yellow line on the floor from the main A&E waiting area for guidance.

• Drinking water

Water dispensers can be found in the A&E waiting area.

• Restaurants:

There is a Costa coffee shop on the ground floor where you can buy hot drinks and snacks – follow the yellow line for guidance.

There is also a shop, run by the Friends of Moorfields where you can buy drinks, snacks, magazines, papers, and other goods. It is located opposite the main clinic area on the ground floor.

• Vending machines

If you are in A&E at a time when the shops are closed, there are several vending machines available, selling a variety of drinks and snacks. These can be found in A&E and next to the coffee shop on the ground floor.

• Pharmacy

If you have been given a prescription for medications after being seen in A&E, these will be dispensed for you by pharmacy or A&E staff. If you need a repeat prescription, you will need to see your GP, as A&E does not issue repeat prescriptions. 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to speak to one of the A&E staff. You can leave the A&E department without losing your place but please inform a member of staff when you leave and when you return.