Find After Hours Care
After-hours health services are services for people needing healthcare outside of normal general practice opening hours.
What are after hours services?
After-hours health services are services for people needing healthcare outside of normal general practice opening hours.
However, they are not a hospital emergency department.
They can manage problems that don’t need the emergency department, but that can’t wait for a GP to be available.
When to go where?
It is important to that you choose the right service so…
- You receive the right treatment by the right professional at the right time
- Patients with serious illnesses or injuries get seen quickly by emergency services
- You do not have to be redirected from one health service to another
- You may be able to stay home and get well.
Symptoms
Where to go?
Contact
Emergency (24x7)
Chest pain, breathing problems, unconscious, heavy bleeding, stroke signs, suicide risk, major burns
URGENT (not life-threatening)
Infection, injury, pain, burns, rashes, eye/ear problems, vomiting/ diarrhoea
*Please make sure to bring your Medicare card to access this service.
MINOR PROBLEMS
Cold, cough, headache, period pain, stomach upset, bites, small cuts
MENTAL HEALTH
Stress, anxiety or panic, feeling low, loneliness, grief, anger
CRISIS SUPPORT
Not sure where to go?
Call for advice after hours
24/7 Interpreter support
Which services are available?
There are many different healthcare services that are available after-hours including GPs, urgent care clinics, pharmacies, dentists and mental health counsellors.
Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH)
phone: (08) 7074 0000
address: Port Rd, Adelaide SA 5000
Women's and Children's Hospital
phone: (08) 8161 7000
address: 72 King William Rd, North Adelaide SA 5006
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH)
phone: (08) 8222 6000
address: 28 Woodville Rd, Woodville South SA 5011
Lyell McEwin Hospital (LMH)
phone: (08) 8182 9000
address: Haydown Rd, Elizabeth Vale SA 5112
Flinders Medical Centre (FMC)
phone: (08) 8204 6065
address: 1 Flinders Dr, Bedford Park SA 5042
Noarlunga Hospital
phone: (08) 8384 9288
address: 30 Alexander Kelly Dr, Noarlunga Centre SA 5168
Your doctor or clinic may provide some after-hours care or have another doctor that they recommend after-hours. You can find out by calling your clinic or visiting their website.
Phone: 13 7425
Address: This service is available for Home Visits, Telehealth, and Aged Care
Operating Hours: From 6 PM on weekdays, 12:00 PM on Saturdays, and all day Sundays/ holidays (Adelaide network)
To find services closer to your location, call Healthdirect at 1800 022 222 or visit Healthdirect Service Finder
Find your nearest Medicare Urgent Care Clinic here- Find Medicare UCC
You can walk into any Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Australia for bulk billed urgent care.
They’re open early and late, every day of the year.
You can contact your local clinic or visit their website to find their opening hours.
Many pharmacies are open after-hours for you to get your prescription medicine.
Pharmacists can also advise on common health problems and recommend treatments that don’t need a prescription from a doctor.
Find your nearest 24/7 Pharmacy here- 24/7 Pharmacies SA
If you have a dental problem after-hours and aren’t sure if it can wait to be checked by your usual dentist, you can call the Australian Dental Foundation’s emergency dental hotline on 0407 111 117. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to discuss your symptoms and help connect you with a dentist near you.
Some physiotherapists provide appointments outside of usual business hours. The Australian Physiotherapy Association’s Find a Physio directory can help you search for a physiotherapist in your local area.
Medicare Mental Health Phoneline Service (24x7)
Phone: 1800 595 212
Medicare Mental Health Care Centres (Medicare MHCC)
Find your nearest Medicare Mental Health Care Centre here- Medicare MHCC
Beyond Blue
Phone: 1300 224 636
Address: beyondblue.org.au
Operating Hours: 24-hour counselling support services for all Australians with mental health concerns.
Lifeline
Phone: 13 11 14
Address: You can talk to a Lifeline crisis supporter through text and chat services.
Operating Hours: 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services
Brother to Brother (For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities)
Phone: 1800 435 799
Address: https://dardimunwurro.com.au/
Operating Hours: 24/7
The Brother to Brother crisis line provides phone support for Aboriginal men who need someone to talk to about relationship issues, family violence, parenting, drug and alcohol issues or who are struggling to cope for other reasons.
The line is staffed by Aboriginal men, including Elders, who have a lived experience in the issues that the line offers support for.
13Yarn (For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities)
Phone: 13 92 76
Address: https://www.13yarn.org.au/
Operating Hours: 24/7
13YARN is the first national crisis support line for mob who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping. We offer a confidential one-on-one yarning opportunity with a Lifeline-trained Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter who can provide crisis support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Domestic Violence Crisis Line (24/7): For crisis counselling, support and referral to safe accommodation.
Phone: 1800 800 098
Operating Hours: 24/7
1800RESPECT : Confidential domestic, family, and sexual violence service (24/7)
Phone: 1800 737 732
Website: 1800respect.org.au
Operating Hours: 24/7
Homeless Connect SA (including families) (24/7)
Phone: 1800 003 308
Website: https://www.homelessconnectsa.org/
Operating Hours: 24/7
Medicare Mental Health Phoneline Service (24/7)
Phone: 1800 595 212
Address: https://www.medicarementalhealth.gov.au/phone-service
Operating Hours: 24/7
Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS)
Confidential telephone counselling, information and referral service run by Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia.
Phone: 1300 131 340 (South Australian callers only - local call fee)
Website: Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) | SA Health
Operating Hours: Any day between 8:30am and 10:00pm.
Email: HealthDASSAADIS@sa.gov.au
Free 24-hour alcohol and drug counselling and referral via telephone or online chat
Phone: 1800 888 236
Website: directline.org.au
Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Phone: (08) 8161 7000
Address: 72 King William Road, NORTH ADELAIDE, South Australia 5006
Operating Hours: 24/7
Free 24-hour telephone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25 years
Phone: 1800 551 800
Website: https://kidshelpline.com.au/
Operating Hours: 24/7
Confused? Not sure? Call Health Direct 1800 022 222
Are there any costs involved?
Going to a pharmacy or calling a helpline for advice is usually free, but most after-hours health professionals will charge a fee to see you. It may be higher than the cost during normal hours, and it will depend on the provider you see. Some of the fee may be covered by Medicare.
When should I go to Hospital?
You should go to a hospital emergency department (ED) if you or someone in your care is seriously ill or injured, or becomes unwell suddenly.
You may need to go to ED for these severe or urgent conditions:
- heart attack or stroke
- severe pain
- problems with breathing or bleeding
- loss of consciousness or unexplained seizures
- allergic reactions
- severe mental health concern
If you’re injured from an accident or other incident, you may also need to go to an ED. For example:
- injuries from accidents, physical assaults or falls
- broken bones
- drug overdoses or poisoning
- severe burns
Resources & Support
Where to find a doctor who speaks my language?
To find a doctor who speaks your language, use online health finders (like Healthdirect, HotDoc or HealthEngine) to filter by language, ask friends/family for recommendations, check doctor profiles on clinic websites, or use the free Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) (131 450) if you can't find a bilingual doctor.
What service to go to if I don’t have Medicare?
To access after-hours health services without Medicare but with private insurance, call the Healthdirect helpline (1800 022 222) for advice and to find urgent care options, which may include virtual GP consultations or urgent care clinics that you can pay for and claim on your insurance.
Your private health insurance policy will dictate the coverage for these non-Medicare services, so contact your insurer to confirm benefits, including any hospital care, dental, or allied health services.
Download Resources for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities Here
Download Resources for Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander Communities Here