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Sydney - Dentists, Doctors, Disabled Access & Mobility, Embassy Information, Emergency Services and more...

Dentists, Doctors, Medical, Pharmacies in Sydney

Australia has a well-developed public health care system known as Medicare, along with a network of additional private health care facilities.

Whilst some countries have reciprocal health care agreements with Australia to provide free (or low cost) emergency treatment to their citizens, non-emergency treatment won't be covered. Consequently, it's extremely important to take out travel insurance to provide you with adequate medical coverage.

During your stay, the hotel concierge will normally be able to advise on nearby medical services, chemists and pharmacies. In addition, contact details are also usually given in the directory of services booklet located in hotel rooms.

In the case of emergency, dial '000' when someone requires urgent medical attention, has been seriously injured (or is in danger), or where there is a serious risk to life.

Other useful contact numbers include:

NSW Poisons Information Service, Tel: 131 126

Emergency Dental Service (Sydney): Tel: (+61 2) 9369 7050

Rape Crisis Centre (Sydney): Tel: (+61 2) 9819 6565

HIV/AIDS Info (Sydney): (+61 2) 9332 4000

Life-line - 131 114

Kids Help Line - 1800 55 1800

To find a dentist or dental surgeon in Sydney, look no further than www.dentist.com.au which lists every dentist and every dental practice in Australia. For a list of medical practitioners and chemists within the city, www.doctors-4u.com is well-worth a visit.

Finally, a useful tip is to prepare a list (to keep on your person) giving details of your blood type, allergies and any chronic conditions for which you are receiving treatment, before you start your travels.

Disabled Facilities, Access & Mobility for Sydney

As Australia's most populated city, facilities for travellers with disabilities in Sydney have been much improved in recent years (especially during the run up to the 2000 Summer Olympics).

So far as public transport is concerned, the State Transit Authority, which is responsible for the operation of Sydney Buses has been modernising its fleet to suitably equipped vehicles with low floor access.

Currently, around 100 routes are wheelchair accessible. Although, in percentage terms, this equates to only 40% of the total network, many of the routes covered are those principally used by tourists.

The Sydney Monorail, which is a very useful way to get around the Central Business District, Chinatown and Darling Harbour has lift access at all stations. Another useful method of transportation for visitors is the Metro Light Rail. Similarly, all stations on the line have either a lift or ramp for wheelchair access. What's more, carriages (or cars) on both services have ample space for wheelchairs.

Suburban rail services are provided by CityRail, who are also working to increase accessibility to their network for travellers with disabilities. However, as of 31st December 2006, only 115 of their 306 stations were wheelchair accessible, so clearly there is still much work to be done. The CityRail network map shows stations with wheelchair access.

Sydney Airport is a modern facility and, as such, it has good facilities and decent levels of access for people with disabilities. As well as external/internal ramps, lifts and sliding doors, you'll find toilets include disabled facilities.

Passengers with mobility problems who require a wheelchair while at Sydney Airport can either arrange one in advance (through their airline) or go to the Tourism New South Wales information point. The airport also employs a number of 'Gold Ambassadors', who are actually volunteers, to welcome and assist passengers. These friendly people are only too willing to provide assistance and are easily identified by their gold coloured jackets.

Many of the larger hotel chains offer at least a limited number of wheelchair accessible rooms, although it's important to get as much information as you can from your travel agent. Smaller hotels and guesthouses (particularly in older, difficult to modernize/adapt properties) will likely offer fewer, if any facilities. Consequently, it's crucial to choose your accommodation carefully. Be sure to ask hard questions like:

Does 'accessible' mean that spaces, furniture and doors within a room have been thoughtfully designed? Or has the manager simply asked for grab handles to be fitted in the toilet/bathroom and nothing more?

ii) Are all parts of the hotel i.e. restaurant/bar areas, saunas, solariums, swimming pools accessible to disabled guests?

iii) Are lift doors wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair?

See also our Sydney hotels guide, which gives details of properties with rooms equipped for guests with disabilities.

Elsewhere, many of Sydney's main museums and attractions are accessible to disabled visitors, although you should check to see if the interior layout of such buildings will cause difficulties before you pay for admission.

For further information visitors may wish to contact: The Access Foundation, Suite 6, The Cooperage, 56 Bowman St, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Tel: 02 9692 9322 or 02 9692 9100. This site has some very useful information about accessibility in Sydney.

Electric Current

Plugs in Australia have three flat pins (blades), using 230-volt current (50 cycles A/C). Visitors from the UK and Europe need only buy a plug adapter to use 240V electrical appliances, whereas North American travellers with 110V appliances also need a current transformer. Plug adapters and transformers are usually easy to find in airport shops and electrical chain stores.

Embassies/Consulates

A significant number of embassies are located in the nation's capital, Canberra. In major Australian cities you'll also find some consulates, with a full listings (addresses, telephone numbers and fax/e-mail details) available from Embassy.org or Embassy World.

Emergency Services 

Dial the following numbers to connect to Sydney's emergency services:

Emergencies: Call 000 for fire, police, or ambulance. 

For non-emergencies call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). In instances where the Police Assistance Line cannot directly assist, they will always refer you to the appropriate person or department responsible.

 
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