She’s withdrawn and closed when I bluster in to the cubicle, and instantly I have to change demeanour. Close the curtain, low lighting, soft voice. Her friend is sitting quietly in the corner busily fiddling with her mobile phone, but listening intently.
‘What happened?’ Her partner assaulted her. They had been drinking; it was the early hours of the morning.
Watch Dr Georgina Phillips re-tell Places of refuge:
Places of refuge by Dr Georgina Phillips appears in EMERGENCY: Real Stories from Australia’s ED Doctors, available now from Penguin Books Australia.
Dr Georgina Phillips
Georgina Phillips has been working as an emergency physician In Melbourne and regional Victoria for more than ten years. Since working as a volunteer doctor in the Pacific nearly 20 years ago, she has been teaching and building capacity for emergency care in low resource environments around the Asia-Pacific region. Georgina continues to advocate for global access to safe and effective emergency care through the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and in the wider community.
Real ED Stories 