Patients arrive at our Emergency Department a number of ways. They may be referred by their GP or primary healthcare provider, delivered by ambulance or they may self-present.
On arrival at the Emergency Department, all patients undergo a brief triage or screening to determine the nature and severity of the illness or injury. On the basis of this assessment, those with more severe symptoms or injuries are treated before those with less serious conditions.
After the initial assessment and treatment, patients may be admitted to the hospital, transferred to another hospital or discharged.
What Happens If Your GP Refers you to a Specific Doctor for Admission?
All referrals for acute assessment come through the Emergency Department. This is a safety issue as, should people need urgent or emergency treatment, the Emergency Department is the best place for this to happen. A patient referred by their GP is still triaged, the on-call team is notified and then they wait to be seen (and they will often wait in the ED waiting room).
As the entry point to the hospital, a lot of the activity occurs behind the Emergency waiting room doors. Our ambulance bay connects straight through to the Department, so the number of people in the waiting room is no indication of how busy we really are.
To help keep waiting times down, we ask that you keep your Emergency Department for emergencies.