Claims misrepresent hospital's Indigenous ED policy

Claims Misrepresent Hospital’s Indigenous Emergency Department Policy

St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne prioritises Indigenous patients over others only in less urgent emergency department (ED) cases. This policy does not apply to severe or life-threatening cases.

Clarifying the Policy

Contrary to misleading social media posts, the hospital’s ED triage system prioritises Indigenous patients solely within less urgent treatment categories compared to non-Indigenous patients in the same category. Urgent, severe, or life-threatening cases are handled based on medical need rather than Indigenous status.

Social Media Claims

One post claims:
“Under this policy, if you are Aboriginal and present at an Emergency Department, you will be prioritised based on race first rather than the severity of your health condition or immediate medical need.”
Another states:
“The stench of racism can be smelt in Victoria now,”
referencing the state's recently passed Indigenous treaty bill.
A different post alleges:
“The recent hospital triage instruction where Aboriginal people were given priority access over all other patients tells everything you need to know.”
Some posts link the hospital’s policy directly to Victoria’s newly enacted Indigenous treaty legislation.

Fact Check Summary

The hospital’s prioritisation occurs only within non-urgent cases and is not an across-the-board preference, dispelling the false notion that Indigenous patients automatically receive priority over others regardless of medical urgency.

Author’s summary: St Vincent’s Hospital prioritises Indigenous patients only in non-urgent emergency cases, refuting misleading claims that race-based preference overrides critical medical need.

Australian Associated Press — 2025-11-10

Claims Misrepresent Hospital’s Indigenous Emergency Department Policy

Clarifying the Policy

Social Media Claims

Fact Check Summary

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