Red Flag quick guide for Adults and Children
The following should be used as a guide by Patients and GP Reception Staff to identify when a patient should be sent straight to A&E or urgent care – and not wait to see a GP.
Patients who present in practice or by telephone with the following symptoms seeking an appointment will not be given one in Primary Care – they will be advised to go to Urgent Care or A&E.
Symptoms
- Eyes: Sudden loss of vision, foreign body in the eye, trauma resulting in rapid swelling, any chemical injury – direct patient straight to A&E
- Mouth: Signs of anaphylaxis/allergic reaction – rapid lip and tongue swelling, wheezing, difficulty breathing – 999/direct patient straight to A&E
- Throat: Any difficulty breathing, very noisy breathing, unable to swallow own saliva – direct patient straight to A&E
- Ears: Any bleeding from ear(s), any bruising behind the ear(s) – direct patient straight to A&E
- Chest/Breathing: Any noisy breathing, struggling to speak in full sentences – 999/direct patient straight to A&E
- Child – any sucking under ribcage when breathing / very fast breathing – 999/direct patient straight to A&E
- Heart/Chest Pain: Any fast heartbeat that is making the patient feel unwell – 999/direct patient straight to A&E
- Central crushing chest pain: Radiating to left arm or jaw, associated with nausea and/or vomiting or sweating and feeling very unwell – 999/direct patient straight to A&E
- Abdominal Pain: Patient says tummy feels very hard to touch and very painful. Patient complains of recurrent vomiting, high fever, and extreme abdominal pain, sweaty/clammy – 999/direct patient straight to A&E
NB: Any child with excessive thirst, excessive urinating, weight loss and / or lethargy must be offered an urgent on the day appointment. If they are drowsy or confused they must be redirected to 999/ sent straight to A&E.