Emergencies

In an emergency

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.

We are located at the Wellington Street Campus, with entry off Victoria Square, and operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

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.

If you are coming to the Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) Emergency Department, please note that RPH is an adult hospital. For child and adolescent emergencies, please visit the Perth Children's Hospital (external link) emergency department, located at 15 Hospital Ave, Nedlands WA 6009.

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:

  1. Immediate (life threatening)
  2. Very urgent
  3. Urgent
  4. Standard
  5. 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. This may cause unavoidable delays in the Emergency Department. Our staff will continue to care for you until you are able to go to a ward or be discharged home.
 

Metropolitan emergency departments

In an emergency situation, present to your nearest Emergency Department. Metropolitan Emergency Departments include:

 
Emergency Department activity

WA Health's Emergency Department live activity webpage (external link) provides an up-to-date view of the status of the emergency departments in each of the metropolitan hospitals. This includes current information on the average wait times and the number of patients waiting to be seen.
 

Further information

There are a number of things you can do if you have an urgent medical condition:

Last Updated: 31/03/2022