Emergencies
If you have a life-threatening medical condition, call 000 and request an ambulance.
If you have an urgent medical condition you can also come to our Emergency Department, which operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Our entrance is located at the eastern end of the main hospital building on Robin Warren Drive off Murdoch Drive, Murdoch.
Please be aware that patients are seen in order of illness severity, and not in order of attendance. If another patient comes to the Emergency Department with a more serious condition, you will be required to wait. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
The Emergency Department does not provide emergency dental services.
Visit Dental Health Services (external site) for information about how to access emergency dental care. The UWA Dental School operates a weekend emergency clinic (external site).
Not all COVID-19 cases need emergency care
Please remember, a positive COVID-19 result does not mean you need to present to an emergency department. You should only come to an emergency department if you require urgent medical attention.
Most people will only have mild symptoms that require symptomatic management with simple paracetamol and good hydration.
For information about how to care for yourself and your loved ones at home with COVID-19, read Looking after yourself (Healthy WA).
Not all urgencies are emergencies
A large network of GP practices within the Perth metropolitan area provide GP urgent care services to patients so they receive the most appropriate care without the need to attend an emergency department.
Minor injuries and illness that can be treated at a GP urgent care clinic include:
- musculoskeletal and orthopaedic injuries
- gastrointestinal illnesses
- illnesses of the eye, ear, nose and throat
- stings, bites, rashes and wound infections
- abrasions and minor lacerations.
What to bring
If you are coming into our Emergency Department, if possible please bring with you:
- your Medicare Card
- any other entitlement cards (health care, pension, veterans, safety net)
- your passport/health insurance details (overseas visitors/students)
- private health insurance details (if you want to be admitted as a private patient)
- a list of your current medications
- any x-rays/ultrasounds/scans that may be related to your condition
- your employment contact details if your condition is covered by Workers’ Compensation
- the name of your General Practitioner (GP).
When you arrive
Please see the triage nurse first. They will ask questions and assess your condition to determine your level of priority:
- immediate (life threatening)
- very urgent
- urgent
- standard
- non-urgent.
Some patients need to be taken straight into the department. Others will be directed to the waiting room.
While you are waiting, please inform the triage nurse if:
- your condition worsens
- you decide to seek treatment elsewhere.
What happens next?
Once you are inside the Emergency Department, you will undergo a thorough assessment by a team of nursing and medical staff.
Tests and procedures will be carried out when necessary. The team will review your test results and provide emergency treatment, and will then decide to either:
- allow you to return home with a referral if necessary for further care (such as a follow-up appointment with your local doctor or an outpatient appointment)
- monitor your condition for a few hours before making a decision
- admit you to the hospital for further care.
Sometimes patients must wait for test results or for a ward bed to become available. Our staff will continue to care for you until you are able to go to a ward or be discharged home.
Aishwarya’s CARE Call
Read what to do if you are worried you or the person you care for is getting sicker while in hospital.
Metropolitan emergency departments and activity
In an emergency situation, present to your nearest emergency department.
Other metropolitan emergency departments include:
See public hospital emergency department live activity
Visit ED activity now (external site) for up-to-date information on the average wait times and the number of patients waiting to be seen in metropolitan public hospitals.
If you need urgent medical attention, please go to your nearest emergency department.