After-hours medical care in Hervey Bay

Is it an emergency?

Call 000 for an ambulance if chest pain is severe, worsening or has gone on for 10 minutes, if someone is struggling to breathe, or if there are signs of a stroke, including when those signs disappear again.

If it is not an emergency, the next question is whether it can wait. Gastroenteritis, a minor infection or a mild burn may need same-day care. Prescription renewals and long-standing issues generally belong with your usual GP.

Getting help in Hervey Bay

Hervey Bay sits within the Wide Bay part of the area served by Country to Coast QLD, the Primary Health Network for Central Queensland, Wide Bay and the Sunshine Coast. The PHN plans and funds health services across the region. It does not see patients.

A nurse on 13 HEALTH can assess your symptoms over the phone and suggest where to go, at any hour, for the cost of a local call. That call is a sensible first step, especially late at night when fewer places are open.

• Search the healthdirect Service Finder for open GPs and pharmacies around Hervey Bay.
• Use the Department of Health's map to see whether a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is within reach, and check its hours.
• Attend a hospital emergency department for serious problems. Call 000 if you cannot get there safely.

Before you travel

Services in regional areas can have shorter hours than in capital cities, so confirm a service is open before you drive. Bring your Medicare card and a list of your medicines if you can. Healthdirect notes that some pharmacies stay open late, and that calling a helpline is usually free while most after-hours clinicians charge a fee.