Urgent and emergency care waiting times

Please take a look below for the latest waiting times for urgent and emergency care at The Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Our Emergency Departments (adults’ and children’s) are very busy. Please help us to help you and use alternative services if you do not have a serious or life-threatening illness or injury. We ask that, when using our Emergency Departments, you treat our people with respect and kindness.

More information on where to go for help is available here:

Where to go for help

Please note that this data updates every five minutes with the latest waiting times.

Outside of the opening hours for Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC), this waiting times information will not apply. It will refresh when SDEC reopens. Read more about SDEC here.

Emergency Department (Adults)

Number of patients currently in the Emergency Department:
139
Current longest waiting time to be seen by an Emergency Department triage nurse:
1 hours 44 minutes
Current longest waiting time to be seen by an Emergency Department doctor:
5 hours 40 minutes

Following your triage, you will be seen in order of clinical need, with the sickest patients seen first. Patients with life-threatening conditions will be seen immediately.

The Emergency Department triage nurse is responsible for the rapid assessment and prioritisation of patients on arrival, ensuring those with the greatest clinical need are identified and managed promptly to maintain safety and flow through the department.

The Emergency Department doctor is responsible for the assessment, diagnosis, and management of patients, delivering timely treatment, initiating investigations, and making appropriate referrals to specialties.

If you are referred to a specialty for further treatment, waiting times may vary.

Children's Emergency Department

Number of patients currently in the Children's Emergency Department:
25
Current longest waiting time to be seen by a Children's Emergency Department triage nurse:
12 hours 44 minutes
Current longest waiting time to be seen by an Children's Emergency Department doctor:
12 hours 44 minutes

Following triage, your child will be seen in order of clinical need, with the sickest patients seen first. Patients with life-threatening conditions will be seen immediately.

The Children’s Emergency Department triage nurse is responsible for the rapid assessment and prioritisation of patients on arrival, ensuring those with the greatest clinical need are identified and managed promptly to maintain safety and flow through the Emergency Department.

The Children’s Emergency Department doctor is responsible for the assessment, diagnosis, and management of patients, delivering timely treatment, initiating investigations, and making appropriate referrals to specialties. If your child is referred to a specialty for further treatment, waiting times may vary.

Babies under six months will be seen directly by the paediatric medical team on arrival and babies over six months will be seen by the ED medical team and then referred to the relevant specialty, therefore waiting times may also vary.

Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC)

Number of patients currently in Same Day Emergency Care:
18
Current longest waiting time to be seen by a Same Day Emergency Care doctor:
4 hours 55 minutes

Patients who have been assessed and identified as needing same day emergency care will be referred to SDEC for further treatment. Patients with relevant conditions can be rapidly assessed, diagnosed and treated without being admitted to a ward, and if clinically safe to do so, will go home the same day their care is provided.