Emergency at Sandringham
Patient information
What we do
Sandringham Emergency provides a 24 hour, 7 days a week service to the Bayside community for all emergencies or when a person becomes suddenly unwell or is injured.
We have an increasing number of patients each year, with over 30,000 patients a year on average, 30% of them children.
There are 6 main clinical areas:
- Assessment Area RITZ: 3 bays for rapid intervention and treatment
- Resuscitation Area: 2 bays equipped for patient resuscitation
- Acute Area: 7 bays with patient monitoring equipment
- Fast Track and Consulting rooms: 6 treatment areas, including facilities for procedures such as suturing, plastering, eye examination and ENT examination
- Short Stay Unit: 8 short stay beds for emergency patient admissions
- Sandringham Ambulatory Care Centre (SACC): external GP Clinic supporting low risk patients adjacent to Sandringham Emergency
Who we care for
Sandringham Emergency is equipped to see all paediatric and adult emergencies for assessment and stabilisation.
Patients can be admitted to Sandringham Hospital or may be transferred to another hospital as required.
Sandringham Hospital is part of Alfred Health and has established links to The Alfred for medical and surgical subspecialty referrals.
What to expect
Find out more about what to expect when you come to Sandringham Emergency.
What children can expect when visiting our Emergency Department
Commonly asked questions
Patients under 18 years of age who present to Sandringham Emergency will be seen in a timely manner and offered appropriate treatment. However, please be aware that if the child requires ongoing paediatric specialist management (except for orthopaedic surgery) they may need to be transferred to another hospital.
Please do not eat or drink before being seen as you may need tests or procedures that require you not to eat or drink beforehand. Speak to the staff if you have any questions about this.
Families, friends and loved ones play an important role in a patient’s recovery.
To ensure your loved one receives the best possible care, emergency staff may at times limit the number of visitors permitted. This may include requesting visitors to wait in designated areas during procedures.
Depending on the circumstances, accessing time critical treatment in an emergency department is not always necessary. In these situations, visiting your local doctor or an after-hours medical centre means you are more likely to be treated by the same doctor each time and you are less likely to wait for extended periods.
The following telephone and web services are also available to provide you with support in a crisis or potentially dangerous situation.
Nurse on call
Nurse on call is a Victorian phone service providing immediate, expert advice from a registered nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This service is best for the following situations:
- You or someone you care for is feeling unwell
- You are not sure if you should seek medical help
- You are physically a long way away from medical help
- You need advice about health services in your local area
Contact: 1300 60 60 24
Victorian Poisons Information Centre
In the case of a poisoning incident, the Victorian Poisons Information Centre can advise you what first aid is required, whether it is necessary to call an ambulance, to go to the doctor or whether nothing needs to be done. The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Contact: 131 126
Lifeline
Lifeline is a confidential crisis support service operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Anyone across Australia can contact Lifeline if they are experiencing a personal crisis, suicidal thoughts, or they know someone who is in such a position and needs advice to support them.
Contact: 13 11 14 (calls from mobiles free)
There are many additional resources which may be relevant to your needs. More information is provided by the Victorian Department of Health
Special conditions apply for overseas visitors who present to Australian emergency departments and do not hold a valid Medicare Card.
Overseas visitors may need to obtain a letter of guarantee for payment from their travel insurer, or to pre-pay for their treatment and care. If an overseas visitor needs treatment from an Alfred Health emergency department, The Alfred Health Finance Liaison Team will determine what, if any, upfront payments are required. Payments may be reimbursed to the patient through their travel insurance provider if relevant insurances have been arranged by the patient.
Please note that all travel insurance providers differ and have strict pre-existing condition policies. We encourage you to review the insurance conditions closely prior to your travel.
The Australian Government has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA) with a number of international governments. These agreements may entitle you to limited subsidised health services for medically necessary treatment whilst visiting Australia. Find out more at the Medicare RHCA website.
Please note, if you have recognised refugee status from the Australian Government you should advise our staff as early as possible as specific support is available.
If you have any questions or concerns about financing your treatment and care, please speak to any of our department staff.
Understanding your care
You should understand:
- The diagnosis of your presenting problem
- The result of any investigations
- The benefits and risks of any management including medications and operations
Under the circumstances, it is sometimes difficult to fully comprehend what is happening and you may not remember what you have been told. If so, please ask the nurse or doctor so that you feel at ease about your medical condition.
If you are admitted to the hospital, staff will discuss this with you. Sandringham Hospital is a public hospital, so your care as an inpatient is fully covered by Medicare. Overseas visitors may be required to pay for admission unless there is a reciprocal health care arrangement.
Sandringham Hospital is a part of Alfred Health, including The Alfred and Caulfield Hospitals. The doctor caring for you will decide where you are best treated and will organise your transfer if necessary. If you are transferred to another hospital, an ambulance will be provided.
How to access this service
No referral needed
You do not need a referral letter from your doctor to access this service.
What to bring
When you come to Emergency
- Any letters or correspondence from your GP, to assist in determining your health status and urgency category at the time of your arrival
- Medicare card
- Health Care and/or concession card (if you have one)
- Adverse drug alert card (if you have one)
- Medicines you need to take while you are here
- List of medicines you are currently taking (or the boxes), including medicines you have bought without a prescription, such as herbal supplements and vitamins
- Relevant x-ray films, scans, ultrasounds or any other test results or reports
- Private health insurance card (if you want to use it)
- Glasses, hearing aid, walking frame
For an overnight (or longer) stay
- Dressing gown and slippers, or comfortable day clothes and shoes
- Personal hygiene items, such as shampoo, shaving equipment, toothpaste and deodorant
- Something to do, like a book to read, a magazine or an iPad or tablet with headphones