Patients refers to the members of the public who come to the players hospital, in Theme Hospital, seeking medical treatment for their sickness or injury from the player's Doctors and Nurses.
All patients follow the same system, which starts with them going to reception and then queuing for the GP's Office to see a Doctor. After that, their paths differ from each other as they are sent to different Hospital Rooms, and to see different members of staff depending on their illness.
Due to the game only having a few character models, all of the cured patients will look the same. The Diseases the patient has can alter their appearance such as them having a Bloaty Head, a Slack Tongue or dressing like Elvis.
Emergency Patients[]
Emergency Patients are special patients who have been brought to the player hospital via a helicopter. These patients are a challenge for the player as they need to be treated within a time limit or they will die. They are a test to see how well organized your hospital is, the more organized the more you'll be able to treat.
The player receives cash bonuses for curing these patients. These patients can be identified by the flashing blue light that hovers over their head until they have been cured. They jump to the front of the queue for treatment rooms.
Emergency patients will not die, if they are present in the room where they are receiving treatment.