Claims Misrepresent Hospital's Indigenous ED Policy
St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne prioritises Indigenous patients over non-Indigenous patients only in less urgent treatment categories, not in severe or life-threatening cases.
Clarification on Emergency Department Policy
Despite social media claims, St Vincent's Hospital does not prioritise Indigenous patients regardless of their immediate medical condition. The policy applies exclusively to less urgent admissions within the emergency department.
Misleading Social Media Posts
- One post states:
“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 post says:
“The stench of racism can be smelt in Victoria now,”
referencing the state's landmark Indigenous treaty bill. - A third post claims:
“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 the treaty recently passed by Victoria's parliament.
Context of the Claims
These claims surfaced during the same week Victoria's parliament passed the Indigenous treaty bill, sparking debates and misinformation about healthcare prioritisation.
“St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne's emergency department prioritises Indigenous patients in less urgent treatment categories over non-Indigenous patients in the same categories, but the policy does not apply to patients in urgent, severe or life-threatening categories.”
Author’s summary: The hospital's Indigenous prioritisation policy focuses only on less urgent cases and does not override medical urgency, despite social media misinformation linked to recent Indigenous treaty legislation.