Emergency Department (ED)

Wairau Hospital has a 24-hour Emergency Department. For critical or life-threatening emergencies, go there if you are safe to drive or phone 111 for an ambulance.

Emergency departments (ED) treat people who have a serious or life-threatening illness or injury. They are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

In ED you will be triaged (assessed). You will then be treated in order of the seriousness of your condition. Life-threatening illness or injury will be treated immediately, and non-urgent injuries could be treated within a few hours.

The ED is located close to the Urgent Care Centre. ED staff may assess you and then refer or redirect you to the Urgent Care Centre so you get the right level of care.

  • Emergency departments provide hospital-level assessment and treatment for serious or life-threatening illness and injury. Specialist doctors and nurses provide advanced monitoring, imaging (like X-rays and scans), procedures, and admission to hospital when needed. 

  • Medical emergencies that require an ambulance (phone 111) or treatment at the Emergency Department at Wairau Hospital include:

    ·       cardiac arrest (heart attack) or suspected cardiac arrest

    ·       severe chest pain with collapse

    ·       major injury (trauma)

    ·       severe asthma attacks

    ·       severe allergic reactions

    ·       collapse or unconsciousness

    ·       severe trouble breathing

    ·       heavy bleeding that doesn’t stop with firm pressure

  • It is free, or subsidised, to be treated in ED if you are eligible for government-funded health and disability services. People who meet the criteria for free or partly-funded healthcare, include:

    ·       New Zealand citizens and permanent residents

    ·       Australian citizens and permanent residents who have lived or intend to live in Aotearoa New Zealand for two years or more

    ·       some students and visa holders

    ·       refugees and protected persons

    ·       tamariki (children) of eligible people.

    The full list of who is eligible for publicly funded healthcare is on the Health New Zealand website.

  • The Emergency Department is part of Wairau Hospital:

    ·       30 Hospital Rd, Blenheim

    ·       Phone: 03 520 9999 in non-emergencies