Emergency care

For Medical Emergencies, Call 111 Immediately

Emergency Care

The Emergency Department (ED) at Palmerston North Hospital should be used for critical or life threatening situations. (For example, heavy bleeding, a broken bone, bad burns, chest pain, other severe pain, trouble breathing, head injury or similar).

The Emergency Department is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. If you cannot travel to the Emergency Department yourself, you should dial 111 and ask for ‘ambulance’.

At the Emergency Department

When you arrive at the Emergency Department you will be seen by an experienced emergency nurse who will assess your condition and how quickly you will need to be seen by other health professionals.

Depending on your condition, you may go to other parts of the Emergency Department for further assessment and treatment. Some areas may be busy and you may need to wait in the waiting room under the care of nurses assigned to this area. If you are feeling worse while you are waiting, please speak to the nurse straight away. 

How long will I wait?

Patients are not seen on a first-come first-served basis. This is because very ill or injured patients will always be seen first, whatever the order in which you arrive.

Other patients may also go through before you. They may have been referred by their General Practitioner or Nurse Practitioner to a different team and/or they may be going to another area for their assessment and treatment.

Children are treated as quickly as possible. Children will be treated ahead of patients with non-urgent conditions. Please look after your children at all times. Do not leave them unattended.