Some illnesses or injuries require prompt medical attention but are not serious enough to require emergency aid. In such cases, a patient may receive urgent care.
What is urgent care?
Some illnesses or injuries require urgent care. Although they are not life-threatening, care cannot be delayed until the next day.
In Estonia, everyone has the right to receive urgent care under Article 6 of the Health Services Organisation Act.
The need for urgent care is defined as a situation where postponement of care or failure to provide care may cause the death or permanent damage to the health of the person requiring care.
example If a person has an earache, such a condition does not qualify for emergency aid as there is no threat to life. However, a person may attend the reception ward of a hospital on their own to receive urgent help.
You can receive urgent care in an emergency room or in the reception ward of a hospital. In Estonia, hospital reception wards operate 24/7. Urgent care also includes basic laboratory tests and visual diagnostics (X-ray or ultrasound) to determine the diagnosis.
Priority system in urgent care
Upon entry into a reception ward, each patient is assigned a priority number from I (red) to V (blue). It shows how urgent the condition of the patient is and how long they can wait for help.
example I (red) priority: the patient's life is in imminent danger.