About us
The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) can be a very busy place and, as the state trauma centre, we have to prioritise care for the most seriously injured and sickest children.
The RCH Emergency Department (ED) provides urgent medical care to children and adolescents
24 hours a day, seven days a week. Approximately 90,000 patients, ranging from
newborns to teenagers, are seen each year; this equates to 250 patients per day
on average.
The RCH ED
is staffed by a medical team, nurse practitioners, nursing team, clerical,
allied health (i.e. social work, mental health workers etc.) and administrative
staff as well as ward service assistants. The ED is closely associated with the
Radiology Department and the Dolphin Ward – Medical Short Stay, which assist in
the treatment of ED patients.
The RCH is proud to work closely
with The Northern Hospital to ensure high quality paediatric care across both
hospitals, if you and your child live in North-West Melbourne you may be
transferred closer to home to receive any ongoing care at The Northern Hospital. When needing
emergency care, please visit your nearest emergency department.
Find another health service
If your child is experiencing any cold, flu or COVID-19 like symptoms such as a cough, runny nose, fever or sore throat, and you cannot see your regular GP, free appointments are available at GP respiratory clinics (GPRCs) across Victoria. Parents should consider taking their children to the nearby GPRC for kids at 505 Abbotsford St, North Melbourne.
Visit the Health Direct website to find a health service near you.
The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) is a public health service available
to treat patients with non-life-threatening conditions virtually. Access is
available from anywhere in Victoria, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Priority Primary Care Centres are also available to provide care for people with conditions that require urgent attention but not an emergency response.
Useful links
Kids Health Info
The Kids Health Info fact sheets have been developed to help you learn more about health topics, medical conditions and the services available at the RCH.