Urgent care
After hours and emergencies
Where to get care when the office is closed.
Life-threatening emergency
Call Triple Zero immediately — any time, day or night.
Health advice, 24 hours
Speak with a registered nurse for free through healthdirect, any time.
Our after-hours arrangement
Existing home-care and residential aged-care patients have continuous clinical cover 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, through Dr Wilmer's own arrangements — by his mobile phone, through the agreed GP group at Cessnock, or through the Aged Care Emergency (ACE) service for residential facilities. The right contact details are provided directly to enrolled patients, families and facilities. For anyone else: in an emergency call 000 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
Existing home-care and residential patients
If you are an enrolled home-care patient, or a resident of a facility we work with, you have continuous clinical cover around the clock — the after-hours contact details for your situation have been provided to you, your family or your facility. Use those first for clinical concerns. In a life-threatening emergency, always call 000.
Choosing the right care when the office is closed
For everyone else, the right place to go depends on how serious it is. Use this guide to decide.
Life-threatening: call 000
Call Triple Zero (000) straight away if you or someone with you has:
- chest pain or chest tightness
- trouble breathing
- sudden weakness, a drooping face or trouble speaking
- severe bleeding that will not stop
- a bad injury, a suspected overdose, or has collapsed
Do not wait for the office to open. Paramedics can start care on the way to hospital.
Urgent, but not life-threatening
If you are unwell and not sure what to do, call healthdirect. A registered nurse can talk through your symptoms and help you decide on the next step. The service is free and available 24 hours a day.
If the problem cannot safely wait — for example a possible broken bone, or an illness that is getting worse quickly — go to your nearest hospital emergency department.
If it can wait
Many things can safely wait until the office reopens — repeat prescriptions, results queries, or a new illness that is mild. Call us from 9:00 am on the next office day. See how appointments work.
If leaving home is difficult for you, our home visit arrangements are on the appointments page.
Tell us about care you receive elsewhere
If you are treated after hours by a hospital or another service, please tell us at your next contact. This keeps your record complete, so your doctor knows what happened and can arrange any follow-up you need.