Emergency
Our Emergency Department (ED) at Caboolture Hospital is a busy emergency unit in south east Queensland, treating patients from the local community and the Sunshine Coast. We operate 24 hours a day, providing specialised care to adult patients and children with a serious illness or injury.
More than 56,000 patients visit the ED a year including over 11,000 paediatric cases. Around 11,000 patients are admitted to the hospital from the Emergency Department annually and around 8,000 patients are admitted to the Emergency Short Stay Unit.
Our services
We provide emergency medical services to patients needing urgent care for a wide range of conditions.
During your time in ED, you may meet and be cared for by a variety of experienced staff in emergency medicine. Our ED team includes doctors, nurses, technicians, patient support assistants and allied health staff including physiotherapists and social workers.
Emergency Department
Find out more about the Caboolture Hospital Emergency Department.
How to access this service
You can directly access this service.
What to bring
- Your Medicare card
- Private health insurance card (if you have one)
- Health Care Card and/or concession card (if you have one)
- Current medications (prescription, over the counter and herbal medicine)
- Relevant x-rays, scans or any other test results or reports
- Glasses, hearing and mobility aids
When you arrive
On arrival, your symptoms will be assessed by an experienced emergency nurse and triaged in order of priority. You will be seen as soon as possible. Sometimes other patients may have more serious injuries or illnesses and may be seen before you. If your condition worsens, please let the triage nurse know.
Are you visiting from overseas?
If you are visiting from another country and require medical attention your may be billed for the cost of treatment.
Discharge and follow up care
When you are discharged, you may be given referrals to a specialist, information or scripts for medication. With your permission, your doctor may be contacted for further treatment outside of hospital.
Frequently asked questions
If you do not need urgent care, visiting your local doctor or an after-hours medical centre may be an option. This may mean a shorter waiting period and allows you to see the same doctor for better continuity of care.
There are also phone and web services available:
- 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) is a Queensland Health hotline for advice on healthcare matters 24 hours a day.
- Queensland Poisons Information Centre for advice on poisoning incidents 24 hours a day. Phone: 131 126.
- Lifeline is a confidential crisis support service operating 24 hours a day. Phone: 13 11 14 (calls from mobiles are free).
- 1300 MH CALL (1300 64 22 55) for mental health assistance.
Certain tests or procedures require patients to fast, which means no eating or drinking. As a general rule, please do not eat or drink before talking to the medical or nursing staff. If you have a medical condition that prevents you from fasting, please speak to staff.
We understand the importance of support from family and friends during this difficult time. Sometimes, we may need to limit the number of visitors in the ED due to overcrowding. This will ensure your loved one receives the best possible care. You may nominate one family member as the contact person to ensure consistent information is provided
The National Health Service Directory provides information about which GPs, Pharmacists etc are open now. This can be helpful to identify GPs open in evenings and at weekends.
Go to www.nhsd.com.au, type in your post code or suburb, and Click on “Open Now” tab to find the services open now in your area. You will need to call if they have any appointments available before visiting them.
Appropriate behaviour
The safety of our staff and patients is top priority. In accordance with Queensland Health policy, we do not tolerate any form of aggressive or abusive behaviour. Any audio or visual recording without permission is strictly prohibited.
Research in ED
Research into ways to improve the health and healthcare of Queenslanders is a priority in the Emergency Department. You may be asked if you would like to participate in research.
Contact us
Location: Ground floor, Main Building, Caboolture Hospital
Phone: (07) 5433 8888
Need help outside hours?
For non-urgent medical issues call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or visit your GP.
In an emergency call 000.
Refer a patient
GPs and specialists in the community and in other hospitals can refer a patient by calling the emergency physician “on the floor” via hospital switch on (07) 5433 8888.