Coming to Emergency

If it's a life-threatening emergency

If your child has a life-threatening medical emergency or condition call 000 and ask for an ambulance.

In an emergency, please go to your nearest hospital emergency department.

If you are not sure what to do, call HealthDirect Australia on 1800 022 222 for free health advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

PCH Emergency Department (PCH ED) provides services for children who are 15 years old or under.

This can be extended to the age of 18, if they have a pre-existing medical condition which they are still receiving care for at PCH.

Mental Health clinical nurse specialists support mental health assessments in the PCH ED for children who are 15 years of age or under.

Please read our current COVID-19 visitor guidelines for information on coming to the Emergency Department.

If you're coming to ED with COVID

If you are coming to ED with a COVID-19 positive child, you are COVID-19 positive yourself and/or you're a close contact please:

Alert the triage nurse on arrival
Wear a mask if able to do so (patients and caregivers)

If you are worried about your child's symptoms or condition when they are COVID positive, head to our page on Caring for COVID positive children to find when you should bring them to see a doctor.

Please refer to our current COVID-19 entry restrictions for more information.

Check how busy we are

Check the current activity status of PCH’s Emergency Department here.

When you should come to ED

Join Dr Kate Bradman, a Senior Doctor in the PCH Emergency Department at PCH as she explains when you should bring your child to a hospital Emergency Department.

If your child has an urgent medical condition such as:

an accident or an injury such as a burn, broken bone or injury to the head
is very unwell

you can bring them to the Emergency Department (ED) at PCH or your nearest hospital emergency department.

Call 000 for an ambulance

If your child has:

collapsed, is unresponsive or unconscious
no obvious pulse or heartbeat
anaphylaxis or a severe allergic reaction
seizure or fit
extreme pain or irritability
difficulty breathing
extremely fast breathing
noisy breathing
abnormal colour - blue, mottled, pale or ashen
major injuries
bleeding for >10 minutes despite pressure or adequate first aid.

Go to your nearest Emergency Department

If your child:

has a non-blanching rash (it does not fade when you press it)
constant severe pain
burns
possible broken bones
head injury with loss of consciousness, confusion or persistent vomiting
swallowed a button battery or magnets
has a fever of less that 38 degrees in a baby less than three months old
wheezing or fast breathing
not drinking fluids in a child who has vomiting and diarrhoea
expressing suicidal thoughts or self-harm.

See your:

doctor or GP
visit an Urgent Care GP - urgent (required on the day), but non-life threatening injury and illness
call HealthDirect (1800 022 222), 24/7
Call CAMHS Crisis Connect on 1800 048 636, 24/7 for urgent mental health advice and support for young people

If your child has a:

fever
cough
runny nose
ear pain
new rash that fades when you press it
mild irritability
mild pain that comes and goes.

Travelling to PCH ED

Our Emergency Department (ED) is located at 15 Hospital Avenue in Nedlands, on the QEII Medical Centre site.

If it is safe to take your child to hospital, you can use the patient set down area outside the ED main entrance on Hospital Avenue, Nedlands.

Where to park

Short stay set down bays - out the front of the hospital
Basement carpark - located at the southern end of PCH, accesible via Hospital Avenue
Car Park 7 - directly across Hospital Avenue from the Emergency Department
UWA Car Park - directly across Hospital Avenue, south of Car Park 7 - between 8pm and 6am only
Car Park 1 - outdoor carpark north of QEIIMC Multi-deck Car Park, entrance via Winthrop Avenue

There are also other options for transport to PCH.

If your child has a life-threatening medical emergency, call 000 and an ambulance will transport them directly to the PCH ED.

Map of carparks for PCH

When you arrive

Welcome to ED

Welcome to ED guides you through what to expect when you visit our Emergency Department. It's also available in additional languages.

Visitors to PCH ED

Two people are able to accompany a patient to ED at a time. Please check the visitor guidelines before you arrive.

Checking in at ED

When you go through to the Triage waiting area in PCH ED, take a ticket from the check in kiosk.

When your number is called, you will see a specialist emergency triage nurse who make a quick assessment of the urgency of your child’s condition. Once this assessment is complete, your child will be allocated a score on the triage scale. You'll then be taken through to the Pod waiting areas to seen by a nurse or doctor.

Why you might have to wait

The triage process in ED means that the sickest children are seen first. PCH ED staff may not be able to give you a waiting time to see a doctor as this may change depending on the severity, urgency and number of all patients currently in ED.

If we are busy and you have to wait, we appreciate your patience and we will see you as soon as possible.

Check the current activity status of PCH’s Emergency Department here or on the screens in Triage or the waiting area between Pod A and B.

What to bring

If possible, please bring along the following items with you to ED:

Your Medicare card and any concession cards with your child’s details
Private health insurance details (if you would like your child admitted as a private patient)
A list of your current medications
Any x-rays, ultrasounds, scans that may be related to your child’s condition
The name of your GP
For overseas visitors/students: your child’s passport and health insurance details.

While you’re here, there are a number of facilities you can access including family lounges, food and retail and more.

While you are here

Welcome to PCH Emergency Department

Find out what to expect, when you'll be seen and where to find amenities under Welcome to ED.