Emergencies

Emergency departments provide the highest level of emergency care for patients, especially those with sudden and acute illness or severe trauma, such as:

• Suspected heart attack
• Suspected stroke
• Serious head injury
• Serious accident

You should always phone 111 for an ambulance if someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

Mental health emergency

If your mental or emotional state quickly gets worse this can be a mental health emergency or mental health crisis.

In this situation it’s important to get help quickly. If you have been or are being treated for a mental illness, you should have a care plan. Your care plan has names and numbers to call in an emergency or you can call 0800 112 334 for the Emergency Mental Health.

If you don’t have a care plan, and the emergency is at night or out of hours you should either call 0800 112 334 for Emergency Mental Health or 111 for an ambulance, or go to the Emergency Department at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital.

During normal working hours you could also make an emergency appointment with your family doctor.

What to do if you are caring for someone in a mental health emergency

• If you’re caring for someone and are concerned for their safety, you should call 0800 112 334 for Emergency Mental Health or 111 for an ambulance.
• If you or someone you know needs help, and you would like to speak to someone by telephone, you can also call:
  - Directions Youth Health Centre 06 871 5307
  - Depression 0800 111 757 (24hours) www.depression.org.nz
  - Lifeline 0800 543 354 24 hours
  - Suicide prevention in Tautoko 0508 828 865
  - Samaritans 0800 726 666
  - What’s Up 0800 942 8787 (1-11pm)
  - Youthline  0800 376 633 (11-11 7 days)
  - Or visit  www.commonground.org.nz   www.thelowdown.co.nz   www.sparx.org.nz