An Accident and emergency care, also referred to as an accident and emergency department, is a health care facility specializing in the treatment of acute medical patients who present without any prior consultation; either due to auto accidents or for other reasons. These health care facilities offer a wide range of services, both general and specialty in nature. They are fully equipped to handle all types of emergencies, crises and critical care cases. Most ERs have an entire dedicated division for accidents and emergencies. This section consists of well-trained and experienced doctors, nurses and technicians who work together in order to provide all the necessary care and attention to the patient who has been critically injured.

Doctors, nurses and technicians in the emergency care department are fully trained in administering first aid, taking electrocardiograms (ECG), treating burns, wounds, trauma and poisoning and monitoring vital signs. The emergency personnel should be able to quickly respond to critical conditions as they arise. The emergency departments often have well-trained staff members who are well qualified in providing emergency medical services. These staff members are well informed regarding emergency procedures and are trained to handle any type of emergency. All the departments should have well-maintained emergency vehicles and fire trucks.

In an Accident and Emergency Department, specialized service providers are called upon only when an emergency situation has developed and management of the situation requires immediate action. For example, a patient may be unconscious on arrival at the ER due to a brain injury. When such damage occurs, it will require cardiopulmonary resuscitation or other life support methods which may require admission into the hospital. Such an occurrence can then be handled by the emergency department staff without involving the primary care physician.

It is in the best interest of the patient and the emergency care department to not call the emergency medical services of a specialty hospital for possible treatment of the patient prior to assessing their condition. This is because specialty hospitals have advanced life support equipment and professionals who have much more sophisticated training for such emergencies. If the patient was admitted to a less sophisticated hospital, the quality of life would be compromised because the attending medical professionals might not be aware of the nature of the patient's condition and the extent of the trauma or illness.

An Accident and Emergency Care can also reduce unnecessary procedural errors due to misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosing. Another area where the expertise of the ER comes into play is in transporting accident victims to the trauma units. The rules of the road and other factors should be adhered to in order to ensure safety and maximize the chances of survival. Therefore, all patients should undergo a systematic assessment prior to transportation to the hospital.

Systematic reviews are based on the principle that there are several ways to gather data and then statistically compare the results. First, a randomised controlled trial can be performed, where a sample is drawn and the data gathered for comparison between groups. This can be done for all types of emergencies, including accidents. The results can then be compared between randomised controlled trials in order to identify the important factors that account for differences. This is one way of identifying the best way to deliver an urgent care hospital access program to patients in high-need areas.