The paediatric emergency department at Necker

Why it is on the list

Necker is the children's hospital of Paris. Its Hôpital des Enfants Malades, opened in 1802, was the first paediatric hospital in the Western world, and it is a teaching hospital of AP-HP and Université Paris Cité.¹ It covers every medical and surgical paediatric specialty, holds the Île-de-France night and weekend rota for paediatric neurosurgery, is one of the first paediatric transplant centres in Europe and has 26 operating theatres; the SAMU of Paris is based here.² It is certified for high quality of care by the Haute Autorité de Santé.² Whatever a child turns out to need at 3 am, the specialist is in the building.

It takes no adult emergencies: for an adult, go to the 24/7 unit at the American Hospital of Paris. For a child who needs a doctor but is not an emergency, Urgencemed Paris 15, a walk-in centre inside Necker's Robert-Debré building, sees patients from 9 am to 10 pm every day.³ Eye emergencies in the afternoon, at night and on holidays go to the Ophtalmopole at Hôpital Cochin, and hand injuries to Hôpital Robert-Debré in the 19th.³ For a doctor at the hotel, call SOS Médecins.

How to get it

There is no appointment: bring the child to the paediatric emergency entrance, door LN2 of the Laennec building, at any hour.³ If the child's life may be in danger, call 15 instead, stay on the line until told to hang up and follow the regulating doctor's advice.³ The hospital switchboard answers around the clock on +33 1 44 49 40 00.⁴ The nearest metro stations are Duroc (lines 10 and 13), Sèvres-Lecourbe (line 6), Pasteur and Falguière; from Gare Montparnasse it is 15 minutes on foot.⁴ Maternity emergencies are also taken 24 hours a day, on the 5th floor of the Laennec building.³ If the child is admitted, the families' office in the Laennec hall helps with the stay, and a day nursery in the entrance courtyard takes brothers and sisters from 4 months to 6 years, Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 6 pm, booked ahead on +33 1 47 34 69 47.⁵

Discretion

Children's emergencies have their own door, LN2, in the Laennec building.³ Cars do not park inside the grounds; a drop-off point is kept for patients with reduced mobility, and there is paid parking on the surrounding streets and in nearby car parks.⁴ Staff wear badges that show their role.⁶