If you have a life-threatening medical emergency, please call Triple Zero (000) and ask for an ambulance. You can request to be taken to our hospital.
St John of God Geelong Hospital Emergency Department is open 7 am – 10 pm, 7 days a week and is accessible off Myers Street.
Our Emergency Department
We provide emergency medical services to the community for a range of conditions.
Our Emergency Department is a private facility and fees do apply.
Some emergencies are best treated in a tertiary hospital emergency department, including stroke, major trauma, major burns, bleeding from the stomach or bowel, acute mental health issues, and maternity or gynaecological emergencies.
Getting to emergency
To access our emergency department, please follow ‘Cullens Place’ to the emergency department entrance.
What to bring
When you visit our Emergency Department please bring your:
- Medicare Card
- any other entitlement cards (health care, pension, veterans, safety net)
- private health insurance details
- list of current medications
- x-rays/ultrasounds/scans that may be related to your condition
- General Practitioner’s (GP) details
- employment contact details if your condition is covered by Workers’ Compensation
- passport/health insurance details (overseas visitors/students).
What to expect at emergency
When you arrive at our Emergency Department, we will see you as soon as possible based on how urgent your condition is. This means patients in more serious condition may be treated first, so there can sometimes be a wait. We understand this can be stressful, and we appreciate your patience and understanding.
Our emergency team will assess your condition and arrange any tests or treatment you need.
After reviewing your results, we will either admit you for further care* or discharge you home.
*If you need admission to our hospital, you must have private health insurance with hospital cover. If you do not have hospital cover, we will arrange transfer to the most appropriate public hospital.
Please follow our infection prevention guidelines when visiting patients.
Fees
Emergency department fees
Our Emergency Department is a private emergency facility and a fixed out-of-pocket fee of $290 applies. We bill Medicare directly for doctors’ procedures and consultations.
Please note:
- Private health insurance and Medicare do not cover the out-of-pocket fee.
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs will cover the Emergency Department fees if you are a gold card holder.
- We request payment of all costs, including the Medicare portion of your visit prior to leaving. Payment can be made via credit card or EFTPOS.
- If you require pathology or medical imaging services, some out-of-pocket charges may apply in addition to the attendance fee and will be billed individually by the respective service provider.
- You may be able to claim some fees for diagnostic services (blood tests and x-rays) from Medicare.
Lake imaging fees
Patients are responsible for any out-of-pocket radiology fees associated with their hospital stay. For patients who are admitted, most of the fees incurred for any medical imaging performed will be covered by Private Health Insurance (if applicable).
Patients who are NOT admitted will receive an invoice following their attendance to the ED. For most examinations, patients will receive a rebate from Medicare.