Learn more about Monash Health’s emergency departments.
Emergency departments
Monash Health emergency department locations
In a medical emergency, call 000 (triple zero) for an ambulance.
Alternative services for non-urgent care
Patients at an emergency department are seen in order of medical urgency, not in order of arrival.
If your situation is not a medical emergency, other treatment options can be considered.
General practitioner
Visiting your local doctor, or general practitioner (GP), will often result in shorter wait times if you are not experiencing a medical emergency. They treat a wide range of conditions and health issues.
If your regular GP does not provide after-hours care, you may be able to visit an after-hours clinic.
Pharmacies
Talking to a pharmacist is free, and they can provide treatment and advice for minor injuries and ailments.
Nurse on Call
Nurse on Call is a Victorian phone service providing immediate, expert advice from a registered nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1300 60 60 24 for immediate health advice.
Other crisis services
Immediate telephone assistance is available for all kinds of emergencies.
What to expect during your visit to a Monash Health emergency department
Wait times at our emergency departments may vary, as all patients are seen in order of clinical urgency. The most seriously sick or injured will always be cared for first.
There are four steps you can expect if you are visiting one of our emergency departments:
- Registration and triage
- Wait room
- Assessment and treatment
- Next steps
1. Registration and triage
Registration
We will take your name, address and other details and ask you to sit in the waiting area until you are called. You may be called back if we need more information.
Triage
The nurse at the reception desk (the ‘triage nurse’) will ask about your problem. We need to know why you are here so we can work out how to help you.
2. Wait room
Why am I waiting?
When you are waiting, you will not see the other emergencies we are handling behind closed doors. We know you are here and will take care of you as soon as possible.
You may have to wait depending on:
- How sick you are
- How many other patients are in Emergency and how sick they are
- The number of ambulances arriving.
3. Assessment and treatment
You may be taken to one of three areas:
Main cubicle
Where nurses and doctors can assess you, order tests and put an early care plan in place.
The clinic
You will go to this area if you need treatment for less complex injuries or conditions.
Resuscitation
If you need it, this is where you get more intensive treatment or observation.
4. Next steps
You may be taken or guided to one of the following:
Ward
If you are admitted to hospital, you may have to wait for a bed. You will be admitted to the site you are waiting at, or another Monash Health hospital (we’ll take you there.)
Short-stay unit
In the short-stay unit, we take care of you, provide treatment for up to 24 hours and check you are okay before going home.
Waiting room
If you are well enough, you may be taken to the waiting room briefly to wait for test results before going home.
Home
We will give you paperwork, such as referrals for further treatment and medication prescriptions. Tell us if you need a medical certificate or have questions.
Further information
Feeling worse? Has something changed?
You know yourself and your family member best and may notice changes before we do.
If you notice a change, are feeling worse, or are worried, tell us immediately and we will help.
If you need an interpreter, ask us and we will arrange one.
Steps to escalate your care:
- Tell a nurse or doctor. They will complete an assessment and respond to your concern.
- If you are still worried: ask to speak to the nurse in charge wearing the red and white badge. They will complete an assessment with a senior doctor and respond to your concern.
- If you are still worried: call the relevant escalation of care contact number below and senior member of the hospital will provide assistance to address your concern.
Escalation of care contact numbers:
- Monash Medical Centre and Monash Children’s Hospital – (03) 9594 2717
- Casey Hospital – (03) 8768 1579
- Dandenong Hospital – (03) 9554 8329
Translated versions of this process can be downloaded from the Family Escalations of Care translations page.
Can I eat or drink in the emergency department?
Please do not eat or drink until you see the nurse. We may need to perform tests that require a fasting time.
Visiting an emergency department
There are entry requirements in place across all our hospitals which may limit whether visitors can attend an emergency department.
For the latest visitor guidelines, please visit our visitor and entry requirements page.
If you are calling to check on someone in an emergency department, only immediate family may enquire about a patient’s condition. We ask that families nominate one person to be the contact point and keep calls to a minimum.
Transfers to other hospitals and services
Not all services are provided at every Monash Health hospital. The Emergency Department care will be the same but, depending on your ongoing needs, patients may be transferred to the hospital that has the specialty required for continued treatment.
If a person’s condition does not require specialist emergency care, we may refer the patient to be seen by one of Monash Health’s accredited general practitioners or to a local general practitioner.