- Our services
- Emergency Department
Emergency Department
If you have a life-threatening medical condition, call 000 and ask for an ambulance. You can request paramedics to bring you to our hospital.
Notice of works
Our Emergency Department is currently undergoing a major redesign. See more information.
COVID-19 precautions
- Do you have a cough, cold, fever, sore throat?
- OR are you quarantining?
- OR have you had contact with a person who has within the last seven days tested positive for COVID-19?
If you answered yes to any of the above, please help keep our hospital community safe by:
- Wearing a surgical mask; AND
- Informing our triage nurse.
Masks are available at our ED front entrance.
Visitors and support people:
- We request that patients have only one visitor or support person accompanying them in ED.
- Visitors should not enter the ED if they feel unwell or have tested positive to COVID-19 in the last 7 days.
Emergency Department information
At WA’s leading private Emergency Department, you can be seen and sorted sooner by senior staff.
Emergency services
Patients can benefit from prompt attention and care provided by experienced nurses and doctors in a comfortable environment.
Chest pain - don't wait, get help
Call an ambulance on 000 and ask for St John of God Murdoch Private Emergency Department if you are experiencing acute chest pain or cardiac related symptoms.
More on our cardiac services.
Orthopaedic trauma service
Murdoch’s senior orthopaedic specialists are available to support musculo-skeletal trauma.
Find out more.
What to bring
When you come to our Emergency Department with an urgent medical condition please bring your:
- Medicare Card
- any other entitlement cards (health care, pension, veterans, safety net)
- private health insurance details
- list of current medications
- x-rays/ultrasounds/scans that may be related to your condition
- General Practitioner’s (GP) details
- employment contact details if your condition is covered by Workers’ Compensation
- passport/health insurance details (overseas visitors/students).
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.
You may need to be seen immediately or directed to the waiting room.
While you are waiting, please inform the triage nurse if your condition changes or you decide to seek treatment elsewhere.
You will be seen as soon as possible, according to the severity of your illness, and not in order of attendance. If another patient comes to the Emergency Department with a more serious condition, you may be required to wait. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
What happens next?
Once you have been admitted to the Emergency Department our nurses and doctors will complete a thorough assessment of your conditions.
Tests and procedures will be carried out as 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 for further care if necessary (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 regarding your care
- admit you to hospital for further care
- admit you to another facility if more appropriate for your condition.
Sometimes you may need to wait for test results or for a ward bed to become available. We will continue to care for you until you are able to go to a ward or be discharged home.
Our Emergency Department triage fee is $295 which covers your triage assessment, nursing care and all medications used during your emergency visit. This fee is not covered by Private Health Insurance or Medicare. We bill Medicare directly for doctors’ procedures and consultations in the Emergency Department so there is no additional fee for patients.
Please note:
- We will request payment of the Triage Fee prior to leaving. Payment can be made via cash, credit card or EFTPOS.
- If you return to our Emergency Department for review within 14 days because your existing condition is not improving or has worsened you will pay a reduced Triage Fee of $100.
- If you are not covered by Medicare (for example if you are an overseas visitor) the Triage Fee is $425 for an initial visit and $100 for any subsequent visits.
Radiology Fees – SKG
You may receive a separate invoice for radiology fees from SKG Radiology where your out of pocket balance will be capped at $275.
Pathology Fees - Australian Clinical Labs (ACL)
You may receive a separate invoice for pathology fees from Australian Clinical Labs where your out of pocket balance will be capped at $175.
If you would like more information, our Emergency Department ward clerk is available 24 hours, seven days per week and will be happy to answer your queries. Please call 08 9438 9100.
You will be charged by the ambulance service for this transfer. If you have private health insurance you may be covered for ambulance transfer between hospitals. Ambulance transfer is not covered by Medicare, a Healthcare card, Pharmaceutical or Pensioner Benefit Card.
Fees for services such as X-rays, pathology (blood tests) and walking aids (crutches etc), usually incur additional out-of-pocket costs. The service provider will send you an additional account for these services.
You may be able to claim some fees for diagnostic services (blood tests and X-rays) from Medicare.
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