Emergency Department

Symptom Checker

We have developed a new ‘symptom checker’ to help parents and carers understand their poorly child’s symptoms and what they can do for them. Watch the below video for more information.

Using the Symptom Checker will help parents and carers decide where best to get the right care for their child, be it at home, at their local chemist, walk-in centre or GP, or with a trip to Alder Hey’s Emergency Department. Click the below button to use our online Symptom Checker.

Emergency Department Status

We have been experiencing extremely high levels of attendance in the Emergency Department. If your need is not urgent, you could face a lengthy wait. Check your child’s symptoms before attending our Emergency Department by using our Symptom Checker tool.

Walk In Centres

There a several available Walk In Centres in Liverpool offering same day access to medical advice and treatment. Click the button below for more information.

What to expect when you come to Alder Hey's Emergency Department

Everyone who comes to Alder Hey's Emergency Department is triaged on arrival, so patients can be seen in order of priority.

We understand that long waits can be frustrating, however it means that the children going ahead are more unwell, even if that isn’t always visible.

Some of the sickest children come directly through another entrance and you may not be aware of their arrival in the department.

We designate arrivals into one of the below categories, which has an influence on wait times:

• Green / see and treat category – we feel your child is safe to wait for a consultation, these children will wait the longest within the department
• Yellow category – your child needs to be seen and will be prioritised but there will still be a wait
• Orange category – Your child needs to be seen urgently, they will be seen as soon as a clinician is available. They will be taken into a room as soon as possible
• Red category – your child is very unwell and needs to be seen immediately

Please note, we can only offer treatment to young people under the age of 16, after which they will need to attend an adult Emergency department. You can find your nearest Adult A&E service on the NHS choices website. 

Where to find Alder Hey's Emergency Department

Our Emergency Department has a dedicated entrance at Alder Hey in the Park.

To access the Emergency Department by car, enter the hospital site from the Eaton Road entrance where there is a short stay car park and drop-off facility. For sat-navs, the post code to use is L12 2AP.

Please note, we can only offer treatment to young people under the age of 16, after which they will need to attend an adult Emergency department. You can find your nearest Adult A&E service on the NHS Choices website.