How to Use Emergency Department in Australia — Triage Levels 1–5 and OSHC Coverage

The short answer

Australian Emergency Departments (ED) use a triage system (levels 1–5) to prioritise by severity, not first-come-first-served. OSHC holders’ public hospital ED visits are rebatable (usually full coverage) if classified as “emergency medical”.

When should you go to Emergency Department (ED)?

GO TO ED (call 000 or drive to hospital)

• Chest pain, heart palpitations, breathing difficulty
• Severe headache, confusion, unconsciousness
• Heavy bleeding you can’t stop yourself
• Fracture, dislocation, severe trauma
• Poisoning, drug overdose, self-harm thoughts
• Infant high fever (>38.5°C) or seizures
• Car accident, severe fall

DON’T go to ED (see GP or urgent care)

• Mild cold, sore throat (no high fever)
• Minor cuts and scrapes
• Mild diarrhoea/vomiting
• Skin rash, minor skin problems
• Chronic disease flare-up (see after-hours GP first)
• Dental pain (non-fracture)

Urgent Care alternative (faster, cheaper)

• After-hours GP clinic: $80–150, see doctor in 2–4 hours
• Urgent Care Centre: $50–120, wound care, X-ray available
• Walk-in Clinic: usually has availability, wait 30 min to 2 hours

How to call 000 for emergency

Standard response flow

000 operator: "Emergency, fire or ambulance?"
You: "Ambulance, please. I am [symptom]..."

Provide information:
1. Exact location (address, street, landmark)
2. Brief symptoms (chest pain, severe bleeding, unconscious)
3. Patient age
4. Any other hazards (fire, road danger)

Useful phrases

• “I have chest pain and difficulty breathing”
• “I fell and my arm may be broken”
• “My friend is unconscious and unresponsive”
• “I have severe allergic reaction”
• “I’m having suicidal thoughts and need help” (mental health crisis)

When NOT to call 000

• Minor injuries: drive or catch Uber to hospital
• Non-life-threatening symptoms: see GP or urgent care
• Road/weather blocking: call Local Police non-emergency (e.g., NSW 1300 222 666)

What is the Australian Triage Scale (levels 1–5)?

Emergency Department triage standard

Wait time explanation

• Wait time = until doctor assessment (not including later tests/treatment)
• Triage nurse assesses all patients within first 10 minutes
• Low-priority patients may wait 4–8 hours if not truly urgent
• Sudden high-priority patients (heart attack, stroke) interrupt the queue

ED first visit procedure (arrival to seeing doctor)

Step 1: Registration

• Tell ED staff: “I need emergency care. I have OSHC.”
• Provide passport, OSHC card, any existing medical records
• Staff input your information and issue ID wristband

Step 2: Triage assessment (nurse classification)

• Nurse does quick assessment in waiting area (2–5 min)
• Measures blood pressure, temperature, oxygen level
• Asks when symptoms started, any injury, current medications
• Assigns level 1–5
• You get an ID wristband and enter the waiting room

Step 3: Waiting (wait time)

• Sit in waiting room until called
• Electronic screen or staff will announce: “Bed [number] is ready for you”
• If symptoms worsen, alert staff — you may be re-triaged

Step 4: Doctor assessment

• Go to treatment room or bed (may be private or shared ward depending on triage)
• Doctor/physician assistant spends 10–20 minutes on detailed history and physical exam
• May order X-ray or blood test

Step 5: Treatment and discharge

• If admitted: you’re transferred to hospital ward
• If discharged: doctor provides diagnosis, prescriptions, discharge advice
• Front desk provides bill and OSHC contact information

How does OSHC rebate ED costs?

Public hospital ED fees and rebates

OSHC rebate mechanism

• Public hospital ED and Medicare settle directly; patient not involved
• OSHC as supplementary insurance usually rebates uninsured portions
• In most cases, OSHC patients at public ED pay $0–30

Private hospital ED (very rare)

• Much higher cost ($500–2000+)
• OSHC rebate may have caps (e.g., $150–300)
• Avoid unless no public hospital option available

How to reduce ED waiting time?

Less-busy times (average wait)

• Weekday early morning 7:00–10:00 am: quietest
• Weekend late night 22:00–06:00: usually less busy
• Avoid: Friday evening, weekend afternoon (busiest)

Notify on arrival

• If you can drive or Uber, call ED reception before arriving and describe symptoms
• Staff may reserve a bed, reducing triage wait

Symptom description technique

• Emphasise the most severe symptom: “chest pain” ranks higher than “general malaise”
• Mention symptom escalation: “pain doubled in the last hour” ranks higher than “ongoing pain”

Mental preparation

• Level 4–5 patients may wait 2–4+ hours (normal)
• Don’t interrupt waiting procedures or demand faster service (ineffective)
• If condition worsens, alert staff — they can re-assess

Ambulance costs and OSHC coverage

Ambulance fees by state (2026, no free policy regions)

OSHC ambulance rebate

• Most OSHC insurance (Bupa, NIB) rebate $200–500 per call
• Some insurers offer optional annual ambulance add-on ($30–80/year)
• If you anticipate need (e.g., heart disease), consider purchasing add-on coverage

How to save on ambulance cost?

• For non-life-threatening situations, drive or catch Uber (medical emergency exempt)
• In NSW/VIC, consider annual ambulance insurance ($50/year)
• If OSHC rebates, keep receipts and apply

When should you choose telehealth instead of ED?

Sources

• Australian Health Department — Emergency Care: health.gov.au
• Healthdirect — When to go to ED: healthdirect.gov.au
• Ambulance Fees by State: ambulance.gov.au
• OSHC Coverage Guidelines: ahha.asn.au
• Australian Triage Scale: acem.org.au

Last updated: 2026-04-28

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