Emergency medicine

You may see one of our friendly physiotherapists when you come to the Emergency Department (ED) at Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital.

Our primary contact physiotherapists are highly trained and may assess and treat you instead of a doctor, depending on your condition.

They may take you directly from the waiting room if you have:

• Injuries involving your bones, joints and muscles
• Injuries to your upper body: shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand
• Injuries to your lower body: hip, knee, ankle and foot
• Fractures (broken bones) of your upper or lower body
• Joint dislocations
• Neck pain
• Back pain

Your primary contact physiotherapist can:

• Assess your bones, joints and muscles
• Refer for imaging (X-rays)
• Put on a cast or splint for a broken bone or dislocation
• Re-locate joints back into place if they are dislocated
• Provide crutches or other walking aids as needed
• Provide some types of pain medications
• Refer to your GP or other medical specialist for ongoing care

Our secondary contact physiotherapists will see you in ED if your doctor or nurse refers you for physiotherapy.

The secondary contact physiotherapist may see you if:

• You have trouble walking or moving because of your condition
• You need crutches, walking sticks or other walking aids
• You have any injuries to your upper and lower body and need treatment
• You need a sling or brace
• You have neck or back pain and need advice and education around management
• You have any dizziness that may be from your vestibular (inner ear) system
• Assist in organising follow-up physiotherapy in the community