Emergency departments

The Townsville University Hospital emergency department is open to the public 24 hours a day seven days a week for the assessment and treatment of patients with emergency conditions.

Our health service also has 24-hour emergency services in six other locations. We operate emergency services at Ayr, Charters Towers, Ingham, Hughenden, Richmond and Palm Island. 

There is no need to call before presenting to any of our emergency facilities. 

Aggressive or violent behaviour towards our staff or other patients is not tolerated. 

Arriving at the emergency department

When you arrive at the emergency department please go straight to the reception. A qualified nurse will triage you and categorise your condition. It is important you let the triage nurse know the following information: 

• previous health problems
• current medications
• if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
• recent overseas travel
• housing or social concerns
• if your pain or symptoms become worse

If you have a complex medical background or lots of medications it is helpful to bring this information with you to the emergency department.

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Triage

Hospitals do not use a ‘first-come first-served’ approach when it comes to the order in which we treat patients.

Hospitals triage and or sort patients based on how urgently they need medical care. 

Patients with immediate or life-threatening illness or injury are seen before patients with less serious conditions.

Our triage nurse will assess your symptoms when you arrive at the emergency department and assign you a level or category based on this. 

In our ED, many patients who need the most urgent care arrive by ambulance or helicopter. You may not see them arrive as they will enter the hospital through a different entrance to the public waiting room.

It is difficult to predict when there will be a surge in critically unwell patients requiring emergency care, which is why it is difficult for our staff to tell you how long you might wait for treatment. 

If your condition gets worse or changes you should speak to the nurse at the triage desk again so they can re-assess your healthcare requirements.

Our staff work hard to provide treatment to all patients as quickly as possible.

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Townsville University Hospital emergency department

Townsville University Hospital operates one of Australia’s largest and busiest emergency departments. Our ED consistently ranks among the top-performing emergency departments at major tertiary hospitals in Australia. We take pride in the care our team provides. The multidisciplinary team is led by emergency physicians who are fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Royal Australian College of Physicians with paediatric emergency medicine specialisation. 

Children who present to Townsville University Hospital emergency department are treated in a dedicated paediatric space by a team of doctors who specialise in paediatric emergency care. 

In the last financial year, Townsville University Hospital’s emergency department ED saw more than 82,000 patients. Across all seven facilities offering acute emergency care, more than 100,000 patients presented. 

In an emergency you should always call 000.

For non-urgent health advice call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

24/7 mental health crisis assistance and support is available. Call 13 MH CALL (1300 64 2255)

Do you need an interpreter?

We have a free interpreter service available at all our emergency departments. Interpreters can be arranged in hundreds of languages, including AUSLAN. If you would like an interpreter, please let us know when you arrive.