What is a public hospital?

In Australia, a public hospital provides free health care to Australian citizens, permanent residents and anyone who falls under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement. 

To receive treatment in a public hospital, you need a Medicare Card.

Public hospitals aim to manage illness and the effects of injury. They provide acute, non- and sub-acute care along with emergency and outpatient care that is:

• timely
• accessible to all
• appropriate and responsive to the needs of people throughout their lives
• high quality and safe
• well-coordinated to achieve continuity of care when more than one service type is involved
• sustainable.

Public hospitals vary in size. They range from large metropolitan teaching hospitals in the major capital cities to multi-purpose health centres in remote communities.

Services offered at public hospitals may include:

• emergency care
• elective surgery
• medical treatment 
• rehabilitation programs.

You may be admitted to hospital overnight or as a day patient for some services. Other services may be provided to you as an outpatient.

In Australia, emergency departments are predominantly found in public hospitals, however some private hospitals have emergency departments.

The services offered by a public hospital vary. They depend on the size of the local population and which services other hospitals in the area offer.

Public hospitals are more widely accessible than private hospitals and may have better medical facilities. Usually, they are better equipped than private hospitals to handle more complex cases.

Private hospitals are set up for more straightforward procedures and should help you avoid long waiting lists. Usually, they offer more comfortable accommodation than public hospitals and you have a better chance of getting your own room.