Triage
A senior nurse assesses the need and urgency of care. Assessment is based on ESI triage index used at emergency departments in Finland. ESI index is composed of four decision points on the basis of which patients are classified into five categories.
If the patient's health issue is assessed to be a non-emergency case, he or she is provided with appropriate health guidance and, if necessary, advised to contact his or her local health care centre. Contact details for health care centres are found in the municipal web pages and telephone directory.
You can get a medical certificate at your local health care centre from a nurse. If you are a shift worker and need a medical certificate outside office hours, you can get it from the Emergency Department nurse.
If you condition changes after the assessment and symptoms become more severe, you should contact the health guidance helpline tel. 116 117 or your local health care centre. Call the helpline always if you need health guidance or are in doubt where to go for treatment. Health guidance helpline is open 24/7.
Sign-in
You sign in at the Emergency Department reception as indicated by your queueing number.
Fees
You do not need cash when coming to the Emergency Department, you will be invoiced later.
The health care centre fees for consultation at the Oulu Region and Oulaskangas Hospital Emergency Department are as follows: for over-18-year-olds
Weekdays between 20.00 – 8.00 and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays
41,20 euros for each doctor's consultation
24,70 euros for each nurse's consultation
Weekdays between 8.00 – 20.00 for non-contract-municipality residents
20,60 euros for each doctor or nurse's consultation
Weekdays between 8.00 – 20.00 for contract-municipality residents; the local health care centre sends the invoice of consultation to the resident's home address.
The municipalities with an emergency care contract for Oulu Region Emergency Department are Hailuoto, Ii, Kempele, Liminka, Lumijoki, Muhos, Pudasjärvi, Pyhäntä, Siikalatva, Tyrnävä, Utajärvi and Vaala. The municipalities with an emergency care contract for Oulaskangas Hospital Emergency Department are Alavieska, Haapavesi, Haapajärvi, Kalajoki, Kärsämäki, Merijärvi, Nivala, Oulainen, Pyhäjärvi, Sievi and Ylivieska
Repeat prescriptions
The Emergency Department does not repeat prescriptions for sedatives or other medication mainly affecting the central nervous system.
Such prescriptions shall be repeated by your doctor (for instance at your health care centre) during office hours. Oulu Region Emergency Department does not give any non-urgent repeat prescriptions, but you have to ask for one from your doctor during office hours.
Services
There are coin-operated vending machines for soft drinks and snacks at the Emergency Department waiting area.
There is also a cash exchange machine on the premises.
Oulu University Hospital cafeteria opening hours
Safety and security
Safety and security on the Emergency Department premises is monitored by CCTV supervision and access control system in addition to 24/7 security personnel- Also a number of safety alarms are placed on the premises.
Family members and escorts
We try to keep the stretcher area at the Emergency Department quiet and peaceful. Therefore we can allow only one person accompanying the patient. Thus we can protect patient privacy and maintain undisturbed working environment for the medical staff.
Why you have to wait to see a doctor
The waiting time and situation depends on, among other things, on the number of patients waiting at the Emergency Department, urgency and resource requirements of patients' treatment, telephone consultations and cooperation with, for instance, police.
Sometimes, because of bottlenecks, waiting times may be lengthy, sometimes even several hours.
Sometimes patients have to wait for a doctor-referred procedures like a laboratory test, an x-ray examination or similar and then wait for the results. The doctor needs the test results to determine further procedures. If the waiting time feels too long, you can ask for an estimate of how long and why you will have to wait.
Whom to ask about treatment at Emergency Department
If you wish to ask about your or your family member's treatment, a nurse in the respective care team can provide the answers quickest. Care team nurses are identifiable by their badge colour.