Overview
The Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is staffed by nurses, midwives and doctors with specialist experience in management of acute (serious) women’s health issues.
We provide:
- urgent assessment and treatment for women experiencing acute problems related to pregnancy or the postpartum period (after birth)
- urgent assessment and treatment for women experiencing acute gynaecological problems such as acute pelvic pain or abnormal vaginal bleeding
- assessment and management of newborns with birth-related problems
- a specialised service for the assessment and management of early pregnancy complications, such as vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain in early pregnancy.
It may be determined during your assessment that your primary issue is not gynaecological or related to your pregnancy. In this case, we may refer you for further assessment and treatment at the Austin Hospital Emergency Department, which is located within the same hospital complex as Mercy Hospital for Women.
No referral is required to attend the Emergency Department at Mercy Hospital for Women. However, if your GP has directed you to attend, please bring a letter with relevant results of any previous tests or consultations if these are available. We will provide a discharge letter to your GP to update them on the outcome of your attendance at the Emergency Department.
Newborn babies
We only assess and treat newborns up to 14 days old who were born at Mercy Hospital for Women, with the exception of babies who were previously admitted to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or Special Care Nursery and are currently in the care of the Hospital in the Home team. If your baby is older than 14 days of age, you should seek treatment for your newborn at the nearest hospital emergency department.
In the case of an emergency, call 000.
Getting here
Find us at:
163 Studley Road
Heidelberg Victoria 3084
For more information on getting here, visit Mercy Hospital for Women .
On-site signage and indicators
Look for the the MERCY neon sign next to the Austin EMERGENCY signs on-site.
How can people get access?
Entrance to the Emergency Department is on Burgundy Street, Heidelberg.
The MERCY entrance is next to the Austin Hospital Emergency Department.
Opening hours
Our service is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
Your appointment
What to bring
Please bring:
- your Medicare card
- your passport and insurance details if you are not an Australian citizen
- copies of test results, including ultrasound and pathology
- anything you may require for your newborn baby during your time in the Emergency Department, if attending with your baby.
What to expect on the day
Triage
Each patient who attends the Mercy Hospital for Women Emergency Department will be triaged by a nurse or midwife to determine the nature and urgency of their problem. Triage means an analysis of your condition on arrival to ensure that each patient is treated in order of clinical urgency, not in order of arrival time. The triage process ensures that appropriate care is delivered to the most urgent patient first.
In times of increased demand, some waiting time may be involved at the Emergency Department. If the nature of your condition worsens after you have been triaged, please alert staff so that we can reassess you.
More information
Team Composition
At the Mercy Hospital for Women Emergency Department, you may be supported by:
- a team of nurses
- midwives
- doctors with specialist experience in management of acute women’s health issues.
For health professionals
The Mercy Hospital for Women Emergency Department is in Heidelberg. We are open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. We provide urgent assessment and treatment for:
- women with serious gynaecological and obstetric problems
- newborns who were born at Mercy Hospital for Women.
Procedural information
We only assess and treat newborns up to 14 days old who were born at Mercy Hospital for Women, with the exception of babies who were previously admitted to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or Special Care Nursery. Beyond 14 days of age, we may refer patients to the Emergency Department at the Austin Hospital, located next to Mercy Hospital for Women.
How to prepare the patient
No referral is required to attend the Emergency Department at Mercy Hospital for Women, however if you are a GP directing patients to attend, please provide a letter with relevant results of any previous investigations if available. We will provide a discharge letter to update you on the outcome of your patient’s attendance.
What/when you should refer to us
You should refer your patient to this service if you require:
- urgent assessment and treatment for a patient experiencing acute problems related to pregnancy or the postpartum period
- urgent assessment and treatment for a patient experiencing acute gynaecological problems such as acute pelvic pain or abnormal vaginal bleeding
- assessment and management of newborns with birth-related problems
- a specialised service for the assessment and management of early pregnancy complications, such as vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain in early pregnancy.
What/when you should not refer to us
Newborns
We only assess and treat newborns up to 14 days old who were born at Mercy Hospital for Women, with the exception of babies who were previously admitted to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or Special Care Nursery. Beyond 14 days of age, you may be directed to seek treatment for your newborn at the Austin Hospital Emergency Department.
More information
Professional development
Emergency Departments are governed by Key Performance Indicators set by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Contacts
Contacts at this hospital
Emergency Department
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Phone numbers:
Emergency Department
03 8458 4444
24 hours, 7 days a week
- Website: Emergency Department
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Address:
Level 1
163 Studley Road
Heidelberg Victoria 3084
- Opening hours: Our service is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week
-
About:
Please use this contact phone number to contact the Emergency Department via Main Reception.
The Mercy Hospital for Women Emergency Department provides urgent assessment and treatment for women with acute gynaecological and pregnancy problems, and emergency care for newborn babies who were born at the hospital.
Entrance to the Emergency Department is on Burgundy Street, Heidelberg.
The MERCY entrance is next to the Austin Hospital Emergency Department.It may be determined during your assessment that your primary issue is not gynaecological or related to your pregnancy. In this case, we may refer you for further assessment and treatment at the Austin Hospital Emergency Department, which is located within the same hospital complex as Mercy Hospital for Women.
Birth Suite
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Phone numbers:
0384584169
03 8458 4058
24 hours, 7 days a week
- Website: Your labour and birth
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Address:
Level 1
163 Studley Road
Heidelberg Victoria 3084
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About:
Please call our birth suite if you think you are in labour.
Other emergency contacts
NURSE-ON-CALL
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Phone numbers:
NURSE-ON-CALL
1300 60 60 24
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Website: NURSE-ON-CALL - health.vic
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About:
NURSE-ON-CALL is a phone service that provides immediate, expert health advice from a registered nurse.
If you think your situation is an emergency, you should always call 000 or go to an emergency department at a hospital.
Call for the cost of a local call from anywhere in Victoria for health advice 24 hours a day (calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate).
NURSE-ON-CALL puts you directly in touch with a registered nurse for caring, professional health advice around the clock. You may need us when:
– you or someone you’re caring for is feeling unwell
– you are not sure if you should seek medical help
– you’re away from home or situated a long way from medical help
– you simply want advice or information about health services in your area.What happens when I call for advice?
Step 1 – a registered nurse will answer your call and collect some basic details.Step 2 – the nurse will then ask you a series of questions about your symptoms and other issues relating to your health.
Step 3 – at the end of the call the nurse may suggest ways you can care for yourself, advise you to contact a GP or, in the event that your condition is very serious, transfer the call to 000. Note that nurses do not provide a full diagnosis of your symptoms.
NURSE-ON-CALL uses the most up-to-date health information available, giving you and your family the highest quality advice. All information you provide remains confidential and records are fully secure.
Maternal and Child Health Line
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Phone numbers:
Maternal and Child Health Line
13 22 29
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Email address: [email protected]
- Website: Maternal and Child Health Line
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About:
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Line is a statewide telephone service available every day of the year for Victorian families with children from birth to school age.
Maternal and child health nurses can provide information, support and guidance regarding a range of issues including child health, nutrition, breastfeeding, maternal and family health and parenting.
Mental Health Triage
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Phone numbers:
Mental Health Triage
1300 657 259
24 hours, 7 days a week
- Website: Mercy Mental Health Triage
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About:
If you are experiencing mental distress or you are seeking treatment for a mental health problem, please phone the triage line
For emergencies requiring immediate assistance, call 000.
You may need to leave a message on an answering service and the triage worker will return your call as soon as possible.
For health professionals
HealthPathways Melbourne
- Email address: [email protected]
- Website: HealthPathways Melbourne
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About:
HealthPathways Melbourne provides clinicians with a single website to access clinical and referral pathways, and resources. Pathways are created by local GPs, working in partnership with specialists, nurses, allied health and other health professionals.
Mercy Health recommends clinicians to access HealthPathways Melbourne for guidance in assessing, managing and referring for patient conditions (login required).
Referrals to outpatient clinics at Mercy Health will be triaged against clinical information and investigations based on these guidelines.
Referrals that do not meet the required clinical information and investigations will not be accepted.
HealthPathways Melbourne is available for free to health professionals working in the North Western Melbourne and Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network catchments.
Email HealthPathways to request access or if you need to confirm your username and password.
Statewide Referral Criteria for Specialist Clinics - Victoria
- Website: Statewide Referral Criteria
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About:
The Department of Health and Human Services has developed statewide referral criteria to assist GPs and clinicians referring patients to specialist clinics. These referral criteria have been developed to improve access to specialist clinics in public hospitals by improving the quality and appropriateness of referrals.
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