Royal Lancaster Infirmary

Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI) is situated in the centre of the city of Lancaster and has around 426 beds. It provides a wide range of services including accident and emergency, medicine, surgery, maternity, critical care, end of life care, outpatients and diagnostic imaging, and a children and young people’s service, including a special care baby unit.

The emergency department at RLI provided a 24-hour, seven-day a wee, service to the local population. The emergency department was a designated trauma unit. However, the most severely injured trauma patients were taken by ambulance or helicopter to the nearest major trauma centre, if their condition allowed them to travel directly. If not, they were stabilised within the emergency department and either treated or transferred as their condition allowed.. Self-presenting patients with minor illnesses or injuries were assessed and treated in the ‘minors’ bays. One of the major cubicles had doors rather than curtains and this could be used for patients who need to be isolated due to an infection. One of these cubicles was specifically designed for patients with dementia. There was a waiting area for adults and a separate waiting room for children. Patients with a serious injury or illness, arrived by ambulance through a dedicated entrance. Patients were assessed in an area with a triage room . There was a resuscitation room, near the ambulance entrance, which had four bays, one of which was equipped for children. All four resuscitation bays could be used flexibly as needed.