Children's Emergency/Yurlu-puyu-puyurri Ngartu-itya

The Children's Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can contact Children's Emergency on (08) 8161 7044.

Location

Ground Floor of the hospital, with access from Kermode Street, Sir Edwin Smith Avenue and Brougham Place.

The Kaurna name for Children's Emergency is Yurlu-puyu-puyurri Ngartu-itya, which means "A place of immediate healing and care".

When you arrive

To view some short videos about what happens when you arrive at Children's Emergency, please go to our page:

Children are brought to Emergency with a variety of illnesses. When you first arrive, a Triage Nurse will initially assess your child's condition. All children are treated according to their medical urgency. Our first priority is to treat children with life or limb threatening illness or injuries, and these patients are attended urgently on arrival. This means that there may be a delay in treating some patients, particularly when the department is busy.

Once you have spoken to the Triage Nurse you will be asked to see the Receptionist to check further details - name, address, your general practitioner etc. You may then be asked to sit in the waiting area.

Please do not give your child anything to eat or drink before seeing a doctor or a member of the nursing team.

As soon as possible a nurse will do a more formal assessment of your child. This will include weighing them, asking some questions and doing some other checks such as temperature, urine testing and blood pressure. A doctor will come as soon as possible.

Car Parking

Very limited space is available for emergency drop off at the end of the Brougham Place ramp outside the Emergency Department. Please arrange to move your car as soon as possible. Car parking is available near the Hospital.

Medical Students

The WCH is a teaching hospital and medical students may also see you and your child. This is not compulsory and your permission will be sought.

Discharge Health Information

We offer a range of information resources on common emergency-related health issues to support you and your child after your visit to Children's Emergency.

Child and Adolescent Virtual Urgent Care Service

Receive medical care no matter where you are, without having to visit the Emergency Department. Speak with emergency nurses and doctors over video link for advice, care and, if needed, referral.

The Women’s and Children’s Hospital’s new virtual assessment and referral service, Child and Adolescent Virtual Urgent Care Service, allows children aged 1 to 18 years with non-life threatening conditions to receive advice and coordinated care over a video platform.

Run by a highly skilled team of emergency consultants, nurses and administration staff, the service will allow children who are well enough to avoid hospital and receive expert advice virtually, no matter where they are.

Information about the service is available at www.wch.sa.gov.au/virtualurgentcare.

Unit Heads

Medical Unit Head
Dr Jacquie Schutz

Nursing Service Director
Ms Claire Scoleri

Phone

(08) 8161 7044

Fax

(08) 8161 6142

Mailing Address

Paediatric Emergency
Women's and Children's Hospital
72 King William Road
North Adelaide
South Australia 5006