What to do in case of a medical emergency in Australia?

During your stay in Australia, you may experience unexpected health situations that will make you wonder how to act or where to go for appropriate medical care.

Even if you are healthy and in perfect physical condition, you can never predict an accident or medical emergency, so being prepared is key.

In this post, we will explain the types of medical emergencies that can occur in Australia and how to proceed in each case. From common injuries to serious illnesses, discover how to get the help you need and what resources are available to ensure your well-being in any situation.

Serious Medical Emergency

A serious medical emergency can be considered when there is an imminent risk to life. For example, heart attack, severe difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, severe wounds, multiple fractures, or internal injuries.

There are also serious emergency symptoms such as chest pain, confusion or disorientation, paralysis or weakness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking, or loss of vision. Additionally, severe allergies, sepsis, seizures, obstetric emergencies, and others. Just because it’s not listed here doesn’t mean it’s not classified in this category if it is very severe.

Calling 000

The first thing you learn when you arrive in Australia is that if you have a medical emergency requiring immediate attention, you should call 000. Even if you have another type of emergency, such as a vehicular accident, a fire, or evidence a criminal situation, you should also call 000.

What will they ask me?

For a medical emergency (which is what we will cover in this article) they will ask you questions about your exact location, the nature of the emergency, and relevant information such as symptoms, and then they will send an ambulance.

What if I don’t understand what they are saying or don’t speak English well?

You should request a Spanish interpreter on the same line. You can say, “I speak Spanish, can I have an interpreter?”. The recommendation is to pay attention to the instructions and stay calm!

What happens after calling 000?

An ambulance will be sent to transport you to a hospital. Remember that in Australia, you will receive all the necessary medical services, but you or your health insurance will have to pay for them afterward.

You will be charged for both the ambulance and hospital admission. The cost of the ambulance can vary but ranges between $1000 to $1500 AUD per trip. Most student insurance policies cover the ambulance, but it’s a good idea to check to be sure.

Hospital admission costs $500 AUD, and this price depends on whether it is a public or private hospital. Depending on the tests performed at the hospital and the number of days you stay, the bill will increase. One night in the hospital can cost around $1000 to $1500 AUD.

In Australia, you will not have to pay any of the costs (that I had mentioned before) at the time of admission. The hospital will provide the service and then send the bill to your address or to the insurance. There is also the option to ask the hospital to send the bill directly to your insurance, and they will handle the payment.

How much does insurance cover?

It depends on the type of coverage you have. Some cover both ambulance and hospital costs, but it is best to check.

Make sure that if you call Emergency Services, it is for something truly urgent that cannot wait or if your life is at risk.

What if I thought it was a serious emergency and it turned out not to be so severe?

Even if your condition wasn’t as serious (since you didn’t know), the service is going to be provided anyway, and you will need to pay for the care and treatment received. This includes the ambulance service (if you have been transported in ambulance) and the charge for using emergency services.

What should I do if I feel very unwell but not so bad as to call 000?

In that case, you can go to the nearest hospital and enter through the emergency room. Keep in mind that they prioritise cases based on urgency.

When you arrive at the hospital, there is a filter called triage. Triage is the process through which the nurse assesses the urgency and severity of cases arriving at the emergency room and determines the order in which patients should be treated.

You will be asked some questions, have your vital signs checked, and tell you to wait until they call your name. If you are very ill, you will be seen quickly, but if not, you might have to wait for a while.

If someone arrives who is in worse condition than you, that person will be seen first. So be prepared to wait for a while.

You can also check online the average waiting time in the emergency room at a specific hospital to get an idea of how long you might have to wait.

Serious Emergencies Requiring Same-Day Attention

There are serious emergencies that require urgent attention to prevent complications, but where life is not at risk. For example, fractures or sprains, urinary infections, severe bruising, ear infections, acute abdominal pain, burns, severe asthma, acute bronchitis, or emotional crises.

These situations can be concerning because sometimes the severity is unknown, or there is significant pain and discomfort, and they need to be examined by a doctor as soon as possible without having to wait for a medical appointment. These situations don’t justify calling 000, so in this case, the alternative in Australia is to go to a Priority Primary Care Center.

Priority Primary Care Centers

These are medical centers that handle urgent issues needing to be treated or resolved the same day but that do not require an emergency response. However, these clinics are associated with emergency departments in case there are complications.

They are open up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week, and you can walk in without an appointment. Many people are not aware of this service, but all you need to do is find the nearest Priority Care Center to your location.

Does my insurance cover a visit to the Primary Care Center?

As mentioned before, it depends on the type of coverage that you have and the services used, but generally, it should be charged like a consultation with a GP.

My Experience at a Primary Care Center

Here is a short example of my own experience in Primary care.

Lina's experience

One day I was at the beach in Rottnest Island, the wind was very strong, and sand got into my left eye by accident. I did everything that you would normally do at home to address the situation, washed my eye with special water, put some drops but not all the sand came out. I went to sleep like that, but that night and the next day, the discomfort I felt was unbearable. I knew I couldn’t call emergency services because, first, the urgency wasn’t that severe, and second, if I went to the hospital through emergency services, I would have to wait a long time. A nurse told me about the Primary Care service. So, I decided to go to one, and they attended to me relatively quickly, cleaned my eye, and examined it carefully. Indeed, I still had sand in my eyelid. Thanks to this service, I immediately felt relieved and incredibly grateful for the quick attention and problem resolution.

To finalise

Remember that in Australia, people don’t go to emergencies just for a cold. They go when it is something serious. If your symptoms are not that severe and you feel you can wait, then schedule an appointment with a GP.

Emergencies as we know them in Colombia are not what you’ll find in Australia; as explained earlier, it works differently.

We hope this post helps you understand how the system works when you have a health issue and what you should do.