Emergency Services

Emergency services at New London Hospital (NLH) include:

Emergency Department

We are fully staffed 24 hours a day by physicians, nurses, and ambulance personnel trained in emergency care. We handle routine emergencies and complex medical, surgical, and trauma care. We are located on the upper level of the hospital and have a three-bed trauma room and five private exam rooms.

Emergency Department Visitor Guidelines:

  • Patients 17 years of age and younger may have one (1) parent/guardian with them. The person with them must remain in the room and will be asked to communicate with the nurse or provider if they need to leave the room to minimize exposure and keep everyone safe. Parents or Guardians will be allowed to switch out.
  • Patients 18 years of age or greater may have one (1) person with them. The person with them must remain in the room and will be asked to communicate with the nurse or provider if they need to leave the room to minimize exposure and keep everyone safe.
  • If the patient’s condition suggests they may have an infectious disease, the person with them must remain in the room with the patient until this is determined.
  • If the patient presenting at the ED is a known COVID-19 positive patient, visitors will be restricted unless patient condition warrants the presence of a support person. Visitors will be educated on appropriate use of PPE (mask, gloves and gown). 
  • Visitors may be required to wear a medical grade mask. It must be worn during their entire time in the ED/hospital. No eating or drinking is allowed when this mask requirement is in place. 

Please note: There may be times when our waiting area in the ED becomes too crowded to remain safe. When this occurs, persons accompanying patients may be asked to social distance, relocate to alternate waiting area, or relocate outside the building.

The safety of our patients, their support person and our staff are of upmost importance in our Emergency Department. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Emergency medical services

Call 911 if you

  • Fainted
  • Have severe chest pain
  • Have a severe injury
  • Have shortness of breath

Whenever you're unsure, it's better to call.

NLH emergency medical services (EMS) is an advanced life support service providing round-the-clock paramedic level 911 service for 7 surrounding towns. We assist in the Emergency Department. We also provide emergent and non-emergent transfers throughout the state and beyond. Our employees are highly trained providers with many credentialed in critical care. Many are dual-licensed as physician assistants, registered nurses, or respiratory therapists.

Our goal is to serve as an accessible resource for all EMS providers. Our EMS coordinator is the liaison between NLH, the EMS providers, and EMS agencies in our region. We strive to provide leadership in the areas of quality and credentialing. The role of our EMS coordinator is to improve relationships and communication, as well as to:

  • Document continuous quality improvement activities
  • Expand educational offerings
  • Improve hospital protocols
  • Perform case reviews
  • Represent the region at state and regional districts and councils

Warning signs of a heart attack

  • Chest discomfort: An uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back
  • Discomfort in other areas of the upper body, such as the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach
  • Shortness of breath or other signs: Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea/vomiting, or light-headedness

If you think you are having a heart attack, call 911 right away. Important life-saving treatment is started by the EMS team on the scene. Driving yourself to the hospital delays treatment and puts you at risk

Warning signs of a stroke

  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
  • Abrupt onset of confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
  • Sudden double vision or trouble with vision
  • Abrupt onset of dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
  • Sudden severe headache

If you think you are having a stroke, call 911 right away. Important life-saving treatment is started by the EMS team on the scene. Driving yourself to the hospital delays treatment and puts you at risk

Transport services and squads

Bradford Rescue and New London Ambulance Service use NLH as their primary resource hospital.

These two ambulance services provide transport services to their own towns and all or parts of other towns. NLH EMS provides paramedic level care and transport for New London, Wilmot, Grantham, Springfield, most of Sutton, half of Newbury, and Sunapee. Bradford Ambulance services all of Bradford and parts of Sutton, Newbury, and Warner.

Eight non-transporting services provide emergency medical care to their patients but do not transport them to the hospital. Croydon, Goshen, Grantham, Newbury, Springfield, Sunapee, Sutton, and Wilmot have F.A.S.T. (First Aid Stabilization Teams) or rescue squads.

The squads listed below provide initial treatment, stabilization, and, in the case of a motor vehicle collision, extrication of their patients while the ambulance is en route to the scene. Once the ambulance arrives, patient care is transferred from the F.A.S.T. Squad to the transporting service. If additional resources are required for patient care, one of the F.A.S.T. squad members will ride in the ambulance to assist.

  • Croydon Fire and Rescue
  • Goshen Rescue Squad
  • Mount Sunapee Resort
  • New London Ambulance Service
  • New London Fire Department
  • Newbury Fire Department
  • Springfield Fire & Rescue
  • Sunapee Fire Department/EMS
  • Sutton F.A.S.T. Squad
  • Wilmot Fire Department