Our team includes:

Specialist doctors (called Neurologists)

Professor Ernest Somerville, Dr Hanka Laue-Gizzi, Dr Christian Zentner, Dr Penelope Gordon and Dr Daniel Ghougassian are our medical specialists. We also have as specialist doctors in training. Our doctors will assess, treat and help you manage your condition.

Neurosurgeon - Dr Ruth Mitchell

Neuropsychiatrist - Dr Adith Mohan

Neuropsychologists based at Neuropsychiatric Institute. 

Clinical Nurse Consultant

Ms Bobbi-Jo Byrnes provides education and counselling and is the person you can speak to if your have any questions or concerns between appointments.

Vagus Nerve Stimulator Co-ordinator 

Mrs Jenine Murray

Clinical Trials and Research Co-ordinator 

Ms Susanne Chun

Inpatient VEEG and Outpatient AEEG Coordinator

Mrs Roxanne Fielding

Advanced Imaging Analysis

Dr Danny Flanagan performs long-term EEG studies and advanced imaging analysis.

Secretary

Ms Angelique Boyadgis will help you make appointments and provide information about what happens at the clinic. She will also answer calls from patients who need to contact us between appointments.

Your GP, another specialist doctor or the Emergency Department doctor will decide if you need to use our services.  If they think you do, they will send a referral to one of our specialist doctors explaining your medical history, relevant test results and what medicines you are taking.

Once we have your referral we will send you your appointment letter in the post.  If you provide your mobile phone number you will receive an SMS reminder 2 days before your appointment. You must reply to this text or your appointment will be cancelled. 

The clinics run on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

If you need to change or cancel your appointment please telephone the clinic on 9382 3805. Please leave a voicemail if the call is not answered. 

Waiting times

You may need to wait up to several months to be seen in the clinic. If your GP thinks you need an urgent appointment they need to telephone the clinic to discuss your needs.

How often do I need to attend the clinic?

How often you need to attend will depend on your progress. If your condition is stable you will generally need to visit the clinic every 6-12 months.

On the day of your first appointment please bring:

• Your referral letter from your GP
• Your Medicare card
• MRI scans
• A list of your medicines or bring all your medicines in a bag, including any herbal or over the counter medicines
• Any medical records or reports that you have. This may save us and you considerable time and even reduce the number of visits necessary
• You are welcome to bring a support person (a relative, friend or carer) with you.
• If this is your first visit, it is helpful to bring someone with you who has seen one of your attacks

Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us by telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.

We are teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research, including clinical trials or for a student to be present at your appointment. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.

Our team includes:

Specialist doctors (called Neurologists)

Professor Ernest Somerville, Dr Hanka Laue-Gizzi, Dr Christian Zentner, Dr Penelope Gordon and Dr Daniel Ghougassian are our medical specialists. We also have as specialist doctors in training. Our doctors will assess, treat and help you manage your condition.

Neurosurgeon - Dr Ruth Mitchell

Neuropsychiatrist - Dr Adith Mohan

Neuropsychologists based at Neuropsychiatric Institute. 

Clinical Nurse Consultant

Ms Bobbi-Jo Byrnes provides education and counselling and is the person you can speak to if your have any questions or concerns between appointments.

Vagus Nerve Stimulator Co-ordinator 

Mrs Jenine Murray

Clinical Trials and Research Co-ordinator 

Ms Susanne Chun

Inpatient VEEG and Outpatient AEEG Coordinator

Mrs Roxanne Fielding

Advanced Imaging Analysis

Dr Danny Flanagan performs long-term EEG studies and advanced imaging analysis.

Secretary

Ms Angelique Boyadgis will help you make appointments and provide information about what happens at the clinic. She will also answer calls from patients who need to contact us between appointments.

Your GP, another specialist doctor or the Emergency Department doctor will decide if you need to use our services.  If they think you do, they will send a referral to one of our specialist doctors explaining your medical history, relevant test results and what medicines you are taking.

Once we have your referral we will send you your appointment letter in the post.  If you provide your mobile phone number you will receive an SMS reminder 2 days before your appointment. You must reply to this text or your appointment will be cancelled. 

The clinics run on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

If you need to change or cancel your appointment please telephone the clinic on 9382 3805. Please leave a voicemail if the call is not answered. 

Waiting times

You may need to wait up to several months to be seen in the clinic. If your GP thinks you need an urgent appointment they need to telephone the clinic to discuss your needs.

How often do I need to attend the clinic?

How often you need to attend will depend on your progress. If your condition is stable you will generally need to visit the clinic every 6-12 months.

On the day of your first appointment please bring:

• Your referral letter from your GP
• Your Medicare card
• MRI scans
• A list of your medicines or bring all your medicines in a bag, including any herbal or over the counter medicines
• Any medical records or reports that you have. This may save us and you considerable time and even reduce the number of visits necessary
• You are welcome to bring a support person (a relative, friend or carer) with you.
• If this is your first visit, it is helpful to bring someone with you who has seen one of your attacks

Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us by telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.

We are teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research, including clinical trials or for a student to be present at your appointment. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.

Our team includes specialist endocrinologists and doctors in training who assess, treat and help you to manage your endocrine condition.

We work closely with endocrine surgeons, nuclear physicians and pituitary surgeons.

This main role of this service is to measure your bone density to check if you have osteoporosis. We support people who have osteoporosis or are at a risk of developing a bone problem.

There are a number of different ways that osteoporosis is diagnosed. The main method of measuring bone mineral density (the amount of mineral and tissues in a certain volume of bone) is using DEXA analysis, a highly filtered and modified X-ray technique where a small amount of radiation is passed through the body. The amount that is absorbed by the body is proportional to the amount of fat, muscle, soft tissue and bone that is in the path of the two beams (hence the term Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry or DEXA). The absorption from fat and other soft tissues is then subtracted to determine the proportion of bone mineral you have.

Other radiological techniques include Quantitative Computerised Axial Tomography (QCT) scanning and vertebral morphometry using a plain lateral spine X-ray of the thoracolumbar region.

For more information on osteoporosis visit www.osteoporosis.org.au

For further information and bookings please call 9382 6617 or fax 9382 6210.

Endocrine dynamic function testing involves collecting two or more blood samples to determine if there are any problems with the function of an endocrine gland. The Endocrine dynamic function team includes an endocrine nurse and endocrine medical registrars.

To make an appointment for your test please telephone the Endocrine Nurse on 938 24680, or Administrative Assistant on 9382 4602.  They will give you all the information you need to prepare for your test.

We provide specialised endocrine clinics for the following conditions:

• Thyroid disease including goitre, thyroid nodules, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer
• Pituitary and hypothalamic disease including pituitary adenomas and cysts, Cushing's disease, acromegaly, prolactinoma, hypopituitarism, hypophysitis.
• Osteoporosis and metabolic disease including hypercalcaemia, hypocalcaemia, Paget's disease, osteomalacia, osteodystrophy.
• Adrenal disease including adrenal related hypertension, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, adrenal adenomas
• Gonadal diseases including Polycystic ovarian syndrome, testosterone deficiency
• Hereditary endocrine cancer syndromes including VHL, MEN I, MEN II 

These clinics are held on Mondays and Thursdays in our outpatients department.

We also provide specialised diabetes clinics. For information on these please see our Diabetes Centre page.

You will need a referral letter from your local general practitioner (GP) or specialty doctor to use this service. Your doctor will need to submit this referral electronically via Healthlink. Your referral will include your medical history, relevant test results, X-ray results and what medicines you are currently taking.

Once we receive this referral and accept it we will send you a letter with your appointment details. We will also send this to your doctor. If we cannot make an appointment for you, we will send you a letter confirming that you are on the waiting list for the next available appointment. 

If you provide your mobile phone number you will receive a SMS reminder 5 days before your appointment. 

If your address or phone number changes or if you need to change or cancel your appointment please telephone the appropriate phone numbers below during business hours:

Specialised endocrine clinics on Tel: 9382 4602

Specialised diabetes clinics on Tel: 9382 4600

Please bring

• Recent blood test results. If you do not have a copy of your results, please bring the name of the pathology company that performed the test so we can follow up with them.
• Any scans and reports related to your hormone condition.
• A list of all the medicines you are currently taking including any herbal or over the counter medicines.  

When you come to our hospital for your appointment, you can check-in using our electronic check-in kiosks. These are located in our Adult Outpatient Department, Acute Services Building (Botany Street), High Street and Barker Street entrances.

Please let us know if you need an interpreter before your appointment date. You can contact us telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and call:

Specialised endocrine clinics on Tel: 9382 4602

Specialised diabetes clinics on Tel: 9382 4600

Our team includes specialist endocrinologists and doctors in training who assess, treat and help you to manage your endocrine condition.

We work closely with endocrine surgeons, nuclear physicians and pituitary surgeons.

This main role of this service is to measure your bone density to check if you have osteoporosis. We support people who have osteoporosis or are at a risk of developing a bone problem.

There are a number of different ways that osteoporosis is diagnosed. The main method of measuring bone mineral density (the amount of mineral and tissues in a certain volume of bone) is using DEXA analysis, a highly filtered and modified X-ray technique where a small amount of radiation is passed through the body. The amount that is absorbed by the body is proportional to the amount of fat, muscle, soft tissue and bone that is in the path of the two beams (hence the term Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry or DEXA). The absorption from fat and other soft tissues is then subtracted to determine the proportion of bone mineral you have.

Other radiological techniques include Quantitative Computerised Axial Tomography (QCT) scanning and vertebral morphometry using a plain lateral spine X-ray of the thoracolumbar region.

For more information on osteoporosis visit www.osteoporosis.org.au

For further information and bookings please call 9382 6617 or fax 9382 6210.

Endocrine dynamic function testing involves collecting two or more blood samples to determine if there are any problems with the function of an endocrine gland. The Endocrine dynamic function team includes an endocrine nurse and endocrine medical registrars.

To make an appointment for your test please telephone the Endocrine Nurse on 938 24680, or Administrative Assistant on 9382 4602.  They will give you all the information you need to prepare for your test.

We provide specialised endocrine clinics for the following conditions:

• Thyroid disease including goitre, thyroid nodules, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer
• Pituitary and hypothalamic disease including pituitary adenomas and cysts, Cushing's disease, acromegaly, prolactinoma, hypopituitarism, hypophysitis.
• Osteoporosis and metabolic disease including hypercalcaemia, hypocalcaemia, Paget's disease, osteomalacia, osteodystrophy.
• Adrenal disease including adrenal related hypertension, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, adrenal adenomas
• Gonadal diseases including Polycystic ovarian syndrome, testosterone deficiency
• Hereditary endocrine cancer syndromes including VHL, MEN I, MEN II 

These clinics are held on Mondays and Thursdays in our outpatients department.

We also provide specialised diabetes clinics. For information on these please see our Diabetes Centre page.

You will need a referral letter from your local general practitioner (GP) or specialty doctor to use this service. Your doctor will need to submit this referral electronically via Healthlink. Your referral will include your medical history, relevant test results, X-ray results and what medicines you are currently taking.

Once we receive this referral and accept it we will send you a letter with your appointment details. We will also send this to your doctor. If we cannot make an appointment for you, we will send you a letter confirming that you are on the waiting list for the next available appointment. 

If you provide your mobile phone number you will receive a SMS reminder 5 days before your appointment. 

If your address or phone number changes or if you need to change or cancel your appointment please telephone the appropriate phone numbers below during business hours:

Specialised endocrine clinics on Tel: 9382 4602

Specialised diabetes clinics on Tel: 9382 4600

Please bring

• Recent blood test results. If you do not have a copy of your results, please bring the name of the pathology company that performed the test so we can follow up with them.
• Any scans and reports related to your hormone condition.
• A list of all the medicines you are currently taking including any herbal or over the counter medicines.  

When you come to our hospital for your appointment, you can check-in using our electronic check-in kiosks. These are located in our Adult Outpatient Department, Acute Services Building (Botany Street), High Street and Barker Street entrances.

Please let us know if you need an interpreter before your appointment date. You can contact us telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and call:

Specialised endocrine clinics on Tel: 9382 4602

Specialised diabetes clinics on Tel: 9382 4600

Respiratory and Sleep Consultants or doctors in training who assess, treat and help you to manage your respiratory and/or sleep problems.

A team of nurses who specialise in tuberculosis education and screening. 

Lung function laboratory staff, hospital scientists that perform lung function tests and other diagnostic tests.

Sleep technicians book and supervise sleep studies, provide education sessions on operating your breathing machine, download data, perform mask fittings and can help you if you have problems with your machine.

Health education officer offers counselling for smoking cessation, asthma education and also manages our clinical research trials.

Administration staff will help you make appointments, inform you about what will happen at the Respiratory and Sleep Department and help to answer any questions you may have about your appointment.

We work in partnership with your local family doctor (GP) and Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs.

To attend one of our clinics you will need a referral letter from your local general practitioner (GP) explaining your medical history, relevant test results, X-ray results and what medicines you are currently taking. Your GP can refer you directly for a home sleep study by providing a STOP BANG and Epworth Sleepiness Score in your referral.

Ask your GP to complete this referral electronically via Healthlink. See this webpage for further information around electronic referrals.  

Once we have received your referral, we will send you and your GP a letter with appointment details. If we cannot make an appointment for you, we will send you a letter confirming that you are on the outpatient waiting list for the next available appointment.

If you need to change or cancel your appointment or no longer require an appointment, please contact 02 9382 4631 or 02 9382 4643.                                                         

• Our medical clinics and lung function clinics are covered by Medicare.
• There is no charge for our weekly TB clinic.
• Tuberculosis screening for health care workers and students carries a fee of $75.00 payable at our cashier’s office.           

Yes, we are always looking for patients who would be happy to participate in clinical trials. These often asses the effectiveness of new medication for asthma and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To find out more please contact us.

Doctor clinics

You may need to wait up to 9-12 months before you can see a Respiratory Consultant.

It is a busy centre and there could be delays when you arrive for your clinic appointment. Most people are seen within one to three hours.

Nurses Clinic

The waiting period for the nurse’s clinic is usually between 1 and 3 weeks.

Lung Function Clinic

The waiting period for the Lung Function clinic is usually between 1 and 3 weeks, but depends on the test you need. If you need a test urgently we usually will organise this to happen within a few days.

It is a busy department and there could be delays when you arrive for your clinic appointment. Most people are seen within one to three hours. We ask that you arrive at your scheduled appointment time to prevent waiting even longer.

You will see a nurse who will measure your weight, height, blood pressure, pulse and temperature.

You may also see a hospital scientist who may perform lung function testing.

• Your Medicare card
• Any relevant recent test results
• You are welcome to bring a support person (a relative, friend or carer) with you.

Please let us know if you need an interpreter before your appointment. You can contact us phoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak, and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and our service.

We are teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research or for a student to be present at your appointment. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will no impact in any way on the services we will provide.

Respiratory and Sleep Consultants or doctors in training who assess, treat and help you to manage your respiratory and/or sleep problems.

A team of nurses who specialise in tuberculosis education and screening. 

Lung function laboratory staff, hospital scientists that perform lung function tests and other diagnostic tests.

Sleep technicians book and supervise sleep studies, provide education sessions on operating your breathing machine, download data, perform mask fittings and can help you if you have problems with your machine.

Health education officer offers counselling for smoking cessation, asthma education and also manages our clinical research trials.

Administration staff will help you make appointments, inform you about what will happen at the Respiratory and Sleep Department and help to answer any questions you may have about your appointment.

We work in partnership with your local family doctor (GP) and Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs.

To attend one of our clinics you will need a referral letter from your local general practitioner (GP) explaining your medical history, relevant test results, X-ray results and what medicines you are currently taking. Your GP can refer you directly for a home sleep study by providing a STOP BANG and Epworth Sleepiness Score in your referral.

Ask your GP to complete this referral electronically via Healthlink. See this webpage for further information around electronic referrals.  

Once we have received your referral, we will send you and your GP a letter with appointment details. If we cannot make an appointment for you, we will send you a letter confirming that you are on the outpatient waiting list for the next available appointment.

If you need to change or cancel your appointment or no longer require an appointment, please contact 02 9382 4631 or 02 9382 4643.                                                         

• Our medical clinics and lung function clinics are covered by Medicare.
• There is no charge for our weekly TB clinic.
• Tuberculosis screening for health care workers and students carries a fee of $75.00 payable at our cashier’s office.           

Yes, we are always looking for patients who would be happy to participate in clinical trials. These often asses the effectiveness of new medication for asthma and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To find out more please contact us.

Doctor clinics

You may need to wait up to 9-12 months before you can see a Respiratory Consultant.

It is a busy centre and there could be delays when you arrive for your clinic appointment. Most people are seen within one to three hours.

Nurses Clinic

The waiting period for the nurse’s clinic is usually between 1 and 3 weeks.

Lung Function Clinic

The waiting period for the Lung Function clinic is usually between 1 and 3 weeks, but depends on the test you need. If you need a test urgently we usually will organise this to happen within a few days.

It is a busy department and there could be delays when you arrive for your clinic appointment. Most people are seen within one to three hours. We ask that you arrive at your scheduled appointment time to prevent waiting even longer.

You will see a nurse who will measure your weight, height, blood pressure, pulse and temperature.

You may also see a hospital scientist who may perform lung function testing.

• Your Medicare card
• Any relevant recent test results
• You are welcome to bring a support person (a relative, friend or carer) with you.

Please let us know if you need an interpreter before your appointment. You can contact us phoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak, and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and our service.

We are teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research or for a student to be present at your appointment. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will no impact in any way on the services we will provide.

We care for people who have a long-term lung or heart condition including people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema or chronic bronchitis), bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis, other lung conditions and heart failure. We also care for people who have lung surgery.

We are specialist physiotherapists who provide you with a comprehensive assessment and personalised plan to improve your breathing, fatigue, physical abilities and quality of life.

We work with a team of medical specialists, nurses and other health professionals, including a psychologist and speech pathologist, to help you better manage your lung and heart condition.

We provide a comprehensive initial assessment with a physiotherapist at the hospital followed by an 8-week supervised exercise training program.  This can occur either in a gymnasium or in a hydrotherapy pool, at home with a physiotherapist, or at home using computer technology. We also provide ongoing exercise groups which you can attend after completing the initial 8-week program, and a social and support group.

Do I need a referral from my doctor to attend the pulmonary and heart failure rehabilitation program? 

No, you do not need a referral from your doctor. You can refer yourself to our program.  A letter explaining your medical history, relevant test results and what medicines you are taking is always helpful.

How do I make an appointment?

If you would like to refer yourself to our program or need to change or cancel an appointment please call 9382 2851. This program is in high demand so there may be a 3-4 month waiting period before you can attend. We will tell you the approximate waiting time when you first contact our staff. 

Can I choose the day and time I attend the hospital for my appointment/s?

Your first appointment time is flexible. However, the exercise programs run on weekdays at set times. 

How often do I need to attend the pulmonary and heart failure rehabilitation program?

If you join the program, you will be expected to participate in exercise training and education sessions twice a week for 8 weeks.

What should I bring

Please wear flat, enclosed shoes and loose comfortable clothing suitable for exercise.

Please bring a list of your current medicines and reading glasses (should you need them) to your first appointment.

Please bring a water bottle.

You are welcome to bring a support person (a relative, friend or carer) with you.

What if I can’t exercise because of my other health conditions?

Our physiotherapists are specialists in prescribing exercise to suit each individual person, and we can modify your exercise program to take into account any other health issues you may have.

We are a teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research or for a student to be present at your appointment or exercise sessions. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.

Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us by telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.

Lung Foundation Australia 

We care for people who have a long-term lung or heart condition including people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema or chronic bronchitis), bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis, other lung conditions and heart failure. We also care for people who have lung surgery.

We are specialist physiotherapists who provide you with a comprehensive assessment and personalised plan to improve your breathing, fatigue, physical abilities and quality of life.

We work with a team of medical specialists, nurses and other health professionals, including a psychologist and speech pathologist, to help you better manage your lung and heart condition.

We provide a comprehensive initial assessment with a physiotherapist at the hospital followed by an 8-week supervised exercise training program.  This can occur either in a gymnasium or in a hydrotherapy pool, at home with a physiotherapist, or at home using computer technology. We also provide ongoing exercise groups which you can attend after completing the initial 8-week program, and a social and support group.

Do I need a referral from my doctor to attend the pulmonary and heart failure rehabilitation program? 

No, you do not need a referral from your doctor. You can refer yourself to our program.  A letter explaining your medical history, relevant test results and what medicines you are taking is always helpful.

How do I make an appointment?

If you would like to refer yourself to our program or need to change or cancel an appointment please call 9382 2851. This program is in high demand so there may be a 3-4 month waiting period before you can attend. We will tell you the approximate waiting time when you first contact our staff. 

Can I choose the day and time I attend the hospital for my appointment/s?

Your first appointment time is flexible. However, the exercise programs run on weekdays at set times. 

How often do I need to attend the pulmonary and heart failure rehabilitation program?

If you join the program, you will be expected to participate in exercise training and education sessions twice a week for 8 weeks.

What should I bring

Please wear flat, enclosed shoes and loose comfortable clothing suitable for exercise.

Please bring a list of your current medicines and reading glasses (should you need them) to your first appointment.

Please bring a water bottle.

You are welcome to bring a support person (a relative, friend or carer) with you.

What if I can’t exercise because of my other health conditions?

Our physiotherapists are specialists in prescribing exercise to suit each individual person, and we can modify your exercise program to take into account any other health issues you may have.

We are a teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research or for a student to be present at your appointment or exercise sessions. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.

Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us by telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.

Lung Foundation Australia 

Our Acute Aged Care team includes doctors, nurses and allied health staff who work together with you, your family and carer to meet your physical, mental and emotional needs while you are in hospital, and to begin planning for when you leave hospital.

ReVive program volunteers

Our volunteers receive 12 hours of training to provide support, companionship and practical assistance to patients, particularly those who are feeling confused, are at risk of falling or are losing some abilities as a result of being in hospital. The volunteers spend time with patients, listening to their stories, talking about things of interest, giving hand massages, encouraging them to eat and drink or helping them walk safely around the ward.

If you think your relative might benefit from a visit from a ReViVe volunteer please contact the Aged Care Volunteer Coordinator on 9382 2014. 

The aged care wards offer nursing care to patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A doctor is always on call. Other members of the team are available from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Our nurses will try to connect you with other members of staff at your request but, depending on the time and day and the seriousness of the situation, you may have to wait, particularly when it is after hours or on the weekend. We know this can be frustrating, especially if you are worried about your relative, and will do what we can to answer questions in the meantime.

We value your opinions and know that clear communication is essential for your care. If you do not understand anything please ask us:

• Why are you doing that?
• What does that word mean?
• What does that procedure involve?
• What alternatives are there?
• What side-effects might there be?
• How will this help?

When it comes to sharing information with family and friends, it is helpful if one person takes responsibility for asking staff for updates and passing this information on to the others.

What happens if my relative is transferred to another ward in the hospital?

Sometimes, due to bed availability or specific care needs of a patient, patients may be admitted to other wards around the hospital. These patients will still be cared for by the aged care team and will be seen on a regular basis.

We are a teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research or for a student to be present at your appointment. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.

Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.

Handbook for family and friends of patients admitted to Aged Care Wards

www.myagedcare.gov.au is an Australian Government website and national phone line (1800 200 422) with up-to-date information about Australia’s aged care system and services. It assists people to navigate the aged care system and provides referrals for assessment and service provision.

The Aged Care Information Line provides information on home and community care and financial benefits. Telephone 1800 500 853 TTY 1800 555 677

Our Acute Aged Care team includes doctors, nurses and allied health staff who work together with you, your family and carer to meet your physical, mental and emotional needs while you are in hospital, and to begin planning for when you leave hospital.

ReVive program volunteers

Our volunteers receive 12 hours of training to provide support, companionship and practical assistance to patients, particularly those who are feeling confused, are at risk of falling or are losing some abilities as a result of being in hospital. The volunteers spend time with patients, listening to their stories, talking about things of interest, giving hand massages, encouraging them to eat and drink or helping them walk safely around the ward.

If you think your relative might benefit from a visit from a ReViVe volunteer please contact the Aged Care Volunteer Coordinator on 9382 2014. 

The aged care wards offer nursing care to patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A doctor is always on call. Other members of the team are available from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Our nurses will try to connect you with other members of staff at your request but, depending on the time and day and the seriousness of the situation, you may have to wait, particularly when it is after hours or on the weekend. We know this can be frustrating, especially if you are worried about your relative, and will do what we can to answer questions in the meantime.

We value your opinions and know that clear communication is essential for your care. If you do not understand anything please ask us:

• Why are you doing that?
• What does that word mean?
• What does that procedure involve?
• What alternatives are there?
• What side-effects might there be?
• How will this help?

When it comes to sharing information with family and friends, it is helpful if one person takes responsibility for asking staff for updates and passing this information on to the others.

What happens if my relative is transferred to another ward in the hospital?

Sometimes, due to bed availability or specific care needs of a patient, patients may be admitted to other wards around the hospital. These patients will still be cared for by the aged care team and will be seen on a regular basis.

We are a teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research or for a student to be present at your appointment. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.

Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.

Handbook for family and friends of patients admitted to Aged Care Wards

www.myagedcare.gov.au is an Australian Government website and national phone line (1800 200 422) with up-to-date information about Australia’s aged care system and services. It assists people to navigate the aged care system and provides referrals for assessment and service provision.

The Aged Care Information Line provides information on home and community care and financial benefits. Telephone 1800 500 853 TTY 1800 555 677