Patients in most urgent need are seen first at our Emergency Department.
If your injury or illness is not urgent you may have to wait several hours to be seen. We ask that all visitors are respectful of staff and others in the waiting area during this time.
To find out if you need to come to the emergency department you can call Healthline 0800 611 116
If your doctor is unavailable, you can visit the Wellington After Hours Clinic.
Wellington Hospital Te Pae Tiaki | Emergency Department
The nature and urgency of your illness or injury will be assessed when you arrive at the Emergency Department. Patients are treated in order of urgency, not arrival times, so those with more severe symptoms or injuries are treated before those with less serious conditions.
Conditions are classed as:
- Life-threatening – for example a cardiac arrest. Treatment is immediate.
- Emergency – for example chest pain, or severe shortness of breath. We aim to treat these patients within 10 minutes.
- Urgent – for example bad injuries or severe abdominal pain. We aim to treat these patients within 30 minutes.
- Semi-urgent - for example a fractured wrist. We aim to treat these patients within 60 minutes.
- Non-urgent – for example minor strains or sprains, which could be treated by a GP/primary healthcare organisation. We aim to treat these patients within two hours.
GP referrals to the Emergency Department
Your GP may refer you acutely to the Emergency Department specialist on call or to another hospital specialist. Please make the triage nurse aware of this on your arrival in the Emergency Department, and hand over any letter the GP might have given you for hospital staff. We cannot make “appointments” for patients referred by their GP for review in the Emergency Department but we may be able to facilitate aspects of care from triage such as xrays and blood tests.
Eligibility for free emergency care
Emergency healthcare services are funded by the government. Anyone needing emergency care will receive treatment. Patients that do not qualify for free or subsidised healthcare will be charged for their treatment. Read more about whether you are eligible for free healthcare in an emergency.
Emergency care for Kāpiti residents
Some Kāpiti residents requiring emergency ambulance care and a possible trip to Wellington Hospital now have a treatment option closer to home. Read more