Know Your Hospital Options
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Patient information campaign

Privately insured and waiting for urgent surgery?

After public hospital assessment, you may be able to ask about private hospital admission or transfer where clinically appropriate.

Privately insured patients should know their options. Where clinically appropriate, private hospital admission or transfer may be available and may help patients access timely care while reducing pressure on the public system. The patient, parent, partner, or carer usually needs to ask; do not assume private insurance options will be raised for you. When private options are not discussed, everyone can lose: patients, relatives, doctors, nurses, ambulance crews, hospitals, and taxpayers.

This is mainly for people already waiting in Royal Darwin Hospital ED or on a ward. It may also help privately insured patients and families who are deciding where to seek care after a previous difficult experience, or when they reasonably expect a long public wait. If someone is unstable, about to collapse, or has had a major accident, call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department first. Depending on where you are, Palmerston Regional Hospital may be closer than RDH; if it is open and suitable for the problem, it may be the first place to go.

DPH switchboard: 08 8920 6011 Emergency only: call 000 What should I ask?
Ambulances outside the Royal Darwin Hospital emergency department
RDH emergency entrance
Darwin Private Hospital Healthscope sign
Darwin Private Hospital

Important safety notice

If you have chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe infection, breathing difficulty, major trauma, collapse, uncontrolled bleeding, or rapid deterioration, call 000 or remain under emergency care. Only tap a 000 call link in a genuine emergency; on many phones it will start a call automatically. Do not leave a public hospital or emergency department without medical advice.

Ambulance delays can occur, including for very serious calls. If the person is getting worse while waiting, call 000 again and follow the emergency call-taker's advice. If someone is already at hospital, stay under hospital care unless the treating team advises otherwise. For someone who is not severely unwell, private transport may sometimes be the practical way to get to care if the ambulance wait is known to be prolonged, but if 000 has been called, follow the 000 call-taker or ambulance service advice. An ambulance is usually safer when there is any risk of deterioration because it is hard to know what may happen on the way.

Distance matters. Do not drive past a closer open emergency department in a time-critical emergency. Palmerston Regional Hospital may be the nearer option for some people; go there first if it is open, suitable, and safer than travelling further to RDH.

Who this information is for

This may be relevant after assessment in a public hospital or urgent care setting.

This information may be relevant if you:

  • have private health insurance;
  • are waiting in Royal Darwin Hospital ED, on a ward, or in another public hospital or urgent care setting;
  • have been told you may need surgical review, admission, or an operation;
  • are considering where to seek care because of previous experience or likely long waits;
  • want to ask whether private admission or transfer is possible.

Urgent surgical examples

Private admission or transfer may be considered for some urgent surgical conditions, depending on clinical assessment and hospital capability. Examples may include suspected appendicitis, gallbladder inflammation, fracture fixation, wound washout, abscess drainage, hernias, or other urgent surgical conditions.

What you can ask

A clear question can help the treating team assess whether transfer is safe and available.

"I have private health insurance. Is private hospital admission or transfer clinically appropriate and available for my surgery?"

"Can my treating doctor speak with the private hospital about whether transfer is safe and available?"

Ask your treating team before arranging any movement between hospitals.

Who to call

Call pathway

In a life-threatening emergency, call 000 first. For private admission discussion after assessment, Darwin Private Hospital can be contacted via switchboard.

Emergency now

000

Only click if this is an emergency: collapse, major accident, severe deterioration, chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe bleeding, or similar. This can dial automatically. If an ambulance has not arrived and the person is deteriorating, call 000 again for advice. Ambulance transport is generally safer if the person may worsen on the way. If 000 has been called, let the 000 call-taker or ambulance service advise whether private transport is reasonable in the circumstances. Distance matters: use the nearest open suitable emergency department, which may be Palmerston Regional Hospital for some people.

Darwin Private Hospital

08 8920 6011

Switchboard for urgent private admission discussion.

After hours

08 8920 6011

Use switchboard until any direct public number is confirmed.

Ask for

Bed manager / nursing supervisor / on-call surgeon / admissions coordinator

Direct manager numbers are not listed here unless confirmed as suitable for public use.

If calling a hospital switchboard, say:

"I am privately insured and waiting for urgent surgical care. I would like to ask whether private admission or transfer may be possible. Who should my treating doctor speak to?"

Private admission or transfer is not automatic. It needs a suitable receiving consultant specialist surgeon, an available bed, theatre time if surgery is required, and agreement that transfer is safe. For procedures such as appendix removal, gallbladder surgery, fracture fixation, or wound washout, same-day care can often be explored if timing and theatre access allow; if it is late in the day, next-day care may be more realistic. Public waits at RDH for urgent but lower-priority surgery can run into two or three days, so asking early can matter.

Urgent but not emergency

Minor injuries and illnesses may be better directed to a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.

Not every urgent problem needs an ambulance or hospital emergency department. If the problem is urgent but not life-threatening, and the person is not severely unwell, Darwin and Palmerston Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are intended for problems such as simple cuts, sprains, minor fractures, mild burns, rashes, minor infections, gastroenteritis, or a child with fever who is not very unwell when a GP is not available. This is exactly the point of urgent care clinics: take simple, lower-risk problems out of ED queues, reduce pressure on ambulance and hospital staff, and get patients treated sooner in the right setting.

These clinics are walk-in services for Medicare-eligible patients and are listed by NT Government as bulk billed. They do not replace 000 or an emergency department for chest pain, breathing difficulty, uncontrolled bleeding, collapse, severe burns, poisoning, seizures, stroke symptoms, or a child who is very unwell. If the problem is too complicated, outside the clinic's scope, or the patient deteriorates, the clinic can redirect the patient to hospital or arrange escalation.

Darwin Medicare Urgent Care Clinic

Unit 4, 8 Osgood Drive, Eaton NT 0820

08 8919 8919

Select option 3. Listed hours: 8am to 10pm daily, including public holidays.

Clinic website

Palmerston Medicare Urgent Care Clinic

3 Gurd Street, Farrar NT 0830

08 8919 8919

Select option 2. Listed hours: 8am to 10pm daily, including public holidays.

Clinic website

Healthdirect advice

Free 24-hour health advice from registered nurses.

1800 022 222

Useful when you are unsure whether to use urgent care, GP, ED, or 000.

Healthdirect

Clinic details checked against NT Government after-hours medical care information and FCD Health clinic pages. Opening hours and intake can change if a clinic is full, so phone or check the clinic page if unsure.

Map links

Open Google Maps for Darwin hospital and urgent-care locations.

Distance can matter in urgent care. Use 000 for emergencies, and use the nearest open suitable service when time matters.

If you are asking for someone else

A parent, partner, carer, or family member can ask the treating team about options.

If a patient is distressed, confused, psychotic, sedated, in pain, or otherwise unable to make calls themselves, a parent, partner, carer, or family member may be able to ask the treating team whether private admission or transfer is clinically appropriate and available.

For a person experiencing psychosis or an acute mental health crisis, safety is urgent. If there is immediate risk of harm, call 000 or remain under emergency or mental health care. Private mental health admission, if relevant, depends on mental health assessment, patient safety, legal status, psychiatrist acceptance, bed availability, hospital capability, and insurance cover.

Useful wording

"I am the patient's parent, partner, carer, or family member. They have private health insurance. Can the treating team advise whether private admission or transfer is clinically appropriate and available?"

What information helps

Have these details ready if available.

  • private health insurer and membership number;
  • current hospital or location;
  • suspected diagnosis;
  • imaging or pathology results, if available;
  • current treating doctor or team contact;
  • medications and allergies;
  • whether you have been told you need admission, surgical review, or an operation;
  • whether ambulance or medical transfer may be needed.

What affects whether transfer is possible

Transfer depends on clinical and practical factors.

  • clinical stability and transfer safety;
  • consultant specialist surgeon acceptance;
  • anaesthetist availability;
  • bed availability;
  • theatre availability;
  • imaging/pathology access;
  • ICU/HDU backup if needed;
  • insurance cover and excess;
  • whether the private hospital is suitable for your condition.

Nothing is automatic. The pathway depends on acceptance by the receiving surgeon or specialist and the hospital's capacity at the time.

Important limitations

Private admission or transfer is not guaranteed.

This website provides general information only. It is not medical advice and does not replace assessment by qualified medical professionals.

Private admission or transfer is not guaranteed.

If your condition is serious, worsening, or life-threatening, call 000 or remain under emergency care.

Do not leave emergency care without medical advice.

Darwin-specific information

Factual local pathway wording for Darwin patients and families.

Covered hospital corridor with windows and garden views on the Darwin hospital campus
A corridor on the Darwin hospital campus. Transfer should only occur after medical advice and acceptance by the receiving team.

In Darwin, Royal Darwin Hospital provides 24-hour public emergency care. Darwin Private Hospital is located nearby. If you have private health insurance and are waiting for urgent surgical care after assessment, you may ask whether private hospital admission or transfer is clinically appropriate and available.

Some patients and families ask because they would prefer private hospital admission if it is suitable, including for personal, privacy, or comfort reasons, or because the public emergency department is very busy. These preferences can be discussed with the treating team, but emergency care and transfer safety come first.

At busy times, waits of more than a day, and sometimes several days, can occur before review, admission, or theatre in a public hospital. If this is the situation you are facing at Royal Darwin Hospital or another emergency department, you can ask whether private admission or transfer is a safe and available option. Waiting times and hospital capacity change, and urgent clinical need should always guide care.

Safety reminder: Do not leave Royal Darwin Hospital or any emergency department without medical advice. If your condition is serious, worsening, or life-threatening, call 000 or remain under emergency care.

This website is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Royal Darwin Hospital, NT Health, Darwin Private Hospital, or any health insurer.

Patient choice and system pressure

Keep patient instructions separate from broader system discussion.

Patient choice discussions should remain evidence-based, factual, and separate from any individual patient's urgent care decisions. This campaign does not suggest that one hospital is always faster or safer than another, and it does not suggest that patients should bypass or leave emergency assessment.

Where clinically suitable and available, private admission or transfer may be one option considered by the treating team, the receiving specialist, and the patient or family.

Fragmented funding can work against patients

Across Australia, health and care are often split between separate funding buckets, agencies, rules, records, and political responsibilities: state hospitals, Medicare, aged care, NDIS, veterans' care, private insurance, workers compensation, motor accident schemes, and other insurers. These divisions can become a blame machine instead of a patient-centred system. The result can be duplicated administration, gaps in responsibility, disconnected records, delayed decisions, and choices driven by who pays rather than what best serves the person or the population.

This can leave patients and relatives seeing obvious pressure on the ground while official language sounds cautious, abstract, or disconnected from what is happening in the waiting room. Asking about private insurance options, when clinically appropriate, is a practical way to reduce pressure on RDH while helping the individual patient.

Carry your own emergency summary

Because official records can be slow, fragmented, unavailable, or difficult to access across services, patients can also carry a short emergency medical summary themselves. A service such as Anonamed lets you create an anonymous QR-accessible record with critical details such as severe allergies, blood thinners, insulin, epilepsy, diabetes, heart disease, major operations, and other information that could help clinicians if you are unconscious, psychotic, delirious, injured, septic, or unable to speak for yourself. My Health Record can still be useful, but for many people it is sparse, incomplete, hard to log into under stress, and not immediately available to family, carers, or first responders. A simple accessible emergency summary is not a substitute for 000, medical care, My Health Record, or hospital records, but it may help reduce delays and dangerous information gaps.

Darwin evidence and public reporting

Public reporting and official records show sustained pressure at Royal Darwin Hospital and across NT Health.

These links are provided for broader discussion of system pressure, patient safety, patient choice, and digital health risk. They are not instructions to leave emergency care.

Acacia digital patient record risk

The Acacia digital patient record project has been the subject of a parliamentary inquiry, ABC reporting about budget blowouts, patient safety concerns, and claims of surgical booking errors. The official committee report records a $335 million program budget, $319.6 million spent to March 2026, and only two of six planned stages delivered. In a Territory of about 269,000 people, that budget is roughly $1,245 per resident.

Workplace culture and staff harm

The Acacia inquiry and public reporting also raised serious workplace culture concerns, including bullying, fear of reprisal, contractor vulnerability, and the death by suicide of a senior Acacia contractor. These issues matter because unsafe governance and staff harm can flow through to project delivery, clinical workflows, and patient risk.

Fragmented records and interstate care

Public cases show the same national problem: patients move between services, states, public and private care, GPs, specialists, police, courts, and emergency systems, but their history does not reliably move with them. In mental health, incomplete records can mean missed collateral history, medication confusion, discharge risk, and warning signs not reaching the next treating clinician or investigator.

For clinicians and referrers

Discuss urgent admissions with the appropriate receiving team.

For privately insured patients who have been assessed and may require urgent surgical care, private admission or transfer may be considered subject to clinical suitability, specialist acceptance, capacity, and insurance cover. Contact urgent admissions to discuss the pathway and required clinical information.

View call pathway
Emergency only: 000 DPH: 08 8920 6011