Under the Patient's Charter, your need for treatment should be assessed immediately on arrival in the accident and emergency department. Many departments operate a system called 'triage' which prioritises the most urgent cases. There may be a triage nurse who is skilled in this. If your case is not very serious you may need to be prepared for a long wait, particularly at busy times which will include most evenings and over the weekend. More serious injuries and illness will call for admission as an in-patient. The department to which you are admitted will depend on the type of injuries sustained.