After Hours and Emergency Departments

In an emergency call 111 and ask for ambulance 
or go to a hospital Emergency Department

What is the Emergency Department (ED)?

• Where people of all ages with acute and emergency health problems are assessed and treated
• Open for care 24 hours 7 days a week
• Most people presenting to ED as acute patients and have not seen their GP before coming to hospital
• People presenting to the ED are usually seen initially by the Triage nurse
• Patients are then assessed and treated by the Emergency Medicine doctors and nurses
• Patients are then either discharged or referred to other services for admission or further investigation and treatment
• Patients referred to hospital by a GP or Primary Care provider will be directed to the ADU or if they have a more serious illness to the ED by the Triage nurse
• Other specialty services with doctors working in the ED include:
  • General Medicine
  • General Surgery
  • Orthopaedics
  • Obstetrics & Gynaecology
  • Paediatrics
  • Mental Health

What is Triage?

• All patients presenting to the ED are triaged by a senior nurse according to the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS)
• The nurse determines 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

View information more information about:

• North Shore Hospital Emergency Department
• Waitakere Hospital Emergency Department