Your stay at Cairns Private Hospital

Cairns Private Hospital is located close to the city centre and one street away from the iconic Cairns Esplanade. The hospital is a 150 bed acute care facility offering a range of services including Surgical, Medical Units, Coronary Care, Day Surgery, Renal Dialysis, Oncology, Cardiac Catheter Laboratory and Sleep Disorders Clinic.

A friendly and relaxed manner is an outstanding feature of our approach to hospital treatment. Our goal is to provide a healthcare program to meet your specific needs.

We have a range of accommodation including:

• Single rooms with shower and toilet facilities
• 2 or 4 bed rooms with shared shower and toilet facilities
• Day patient with shared facilities
• High dependency / Coronary Care Unit with shared facilities

All of our accommodation is classified as private and it is our aim to accommodate you as comfortably as possible. Single room allocation is based on clinical need, as determined by the Clinical Nurse Manager in each area.

There are a number of accommodation options for relatives close to the hospital. If you require more information, please telephone the hospital on (07) 4052 5200.

We take great pride in our quality food and friendly, responsive service. Cairns Private Hospital provides a wide choice of nutritious meals and supplies special diets where it is in the best interests of your medical care. All meals are cooked fresh on site and our meal service provides a wide variety of choice. You will be given a menu daily from which to make your selection.

Food and alcoholic drinks should not be brought to you by visitors without the permission of your doctor/nurse. Please discuss any special dietary needs with your admission nurse.

Do not bring valuables to hospital

The Hospital does not accept any responsibility for and will not be liable for the loss of or damage to, personal valuable items brought to the hospital by patients or their visitors (including money and/or jewellery).

Patients and visitors are strongly advised not to bring such items to the hospital.

When you are admitted, please ask our staff if mobiles can be used in your room. Mobiles may be used in all public areas including the coffee shop. Cairns Private Hospital does not accept any responsibility for loss or damage to your mobile phone.

Individual televisions are provided by each bedside. A single handset by your bed allows you to select any of the local free-to-air television, radio stations and Foxtel.

During your stay with us (as a private patient), you can enjoy our complimentary WiFi service to keep in touch with your loved ones and help you stay connected.

Fifteen minute set down parking is available adjacent to the main entrance using the car park entry on Lake Street. Longer-term parking is available on Abbott Street, Lake Street and Upward Street.

One of the things that sets Cairns Private Hospital apart as a caring institution is the recognition of patients’ spiritual as well as physical needs. Our Pastoral Care Associates are available to provide support to patients and their families regardless of religious beliefs. Your own clergy person is also very welcome to visit.

Medications are provided by Ramsay Pharmacy, offering a 24 hour service to the hospital. Please notify staff prior to your admission if you hold any entitlement cards, which may reduce pharmacy costs (pension, health care, safety net, Veteran’s affairs and senior’s card). Please bring these cards with you when you present for admission.

Aroma Cafe is located in the front foyer of the hospital. Sandwiches, hot snacks, beverages and confectionary are available, as well as newspapers and magazines. The cafe is open to patients and visitors Monday to Saturday from 7am to 5pm.

We request that the following hours be observed: Daily 11.00am to 1.00pm and 4.00pm to 8.00pm. Rest is an important part of recovery from illness or an operation and our visiting hours have been set to allow our patients the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of an afternoon rest.

We do ask that you be considerate to others in the hospital. Lots of noise and many people can be very distressing to some patients. Please respect their need for rest and privacy. Children are very welcome but they must be supervised by an adult at all times.

Smoking is not permitted within the hospital.

Read more about Smoke Free Campus.

Cairns Private Hospital focuses on listening and responding to the needs of our patients. Your feedback allows us to continually evaluate and improve on all aspects of our performance.
We encourage feedback from our patients and it is advisable that you express your concerns before you leave the hospital so we can fix any problems for you. The nurse in charge of your ward is a good start but if you remain concerned please ask to speak to a Director Clinical Services.

Complaints can be made by writing a letter to the Director of Clinical Services, 1 Upward Street, Cairns, QLD 4870, by phoning (07) 4052 5200 or through our patient survey system.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome at the hospital level, you can refer your complaint to the Office of the Health Ombudsman. Call 133 OHO (133 646) or write to / complete the health service complaint form and post to PO Box 13281, George Street, Brisbane QLD 4003. Alternatively, you can fill in and submit an online health service complaint form at www.oho.qld.gov.au or by email complaints@oho.qld.gov.au

The following information will assist you to plan for your discharge from hospital. It is important that you and your family or carer are involved in this process as you will be more able to identify any problems that you may face at home during your recovery period. The time that patients spend in hospital is getting less and less, as it has been shown that the best place to recover is in your own home surroundings. Shorter hospital stays however, mean that some patients go home before they are fully independent with their cares, so planning for discharge allows you to think of ways of ensuring all of your needs are met.

You should be planning for discharge from hospital even before you are admitted, as there are often things that need to be put into place before you come to hospital. If you need advice before admission, Cairns Private Hospital offers a Pre-admission Clinic where you can obtain information from a nurse experienced in assisting patients to identify what type of help they may require after discharge. During your hospital stay you can also ask to see the Case Manager who can assist you to organise Community Health & Support Services if you need them.

If you feel you may require Community Support Services once you return home it is important to find out the cost of these services and whether there is any funding available to cover this. Some private health funds will pay for this type of care and you should enquire what your fund is able to provide for you. Other services are Government funded and often restricted to people who meet set eligibility criteria. Some services can also have a waiting list or not available in your area. Your local doctor may be able to help you arrange services if you need assistance or you can obtain advice from the Case Manager at Cairns Private Hospital by calling 4052 5287 (Mon-Fri).

The following is a ‘check list’ that may assist you to consider what arrangements you will need to put in place to ensure a safe recovery when you return home from hospital.

• Will you be going to your own home from hospital or will you stay will family or friends?

• How will you get home? You may need to arrange for someone to collect you from hospital, as the Queensland Ambulance Service will only transport you if your doctor feels there is a medical need for this. Ask your doctor how long you will be in hospital so you have an idea of what you need to arrange. Discharge time at Cairns Private is usually between 0900-1000am.

• Do you have someone to help you when you go home? Ask your doctor or the Pre-admission Clinic staff what assistance you may need when you go home. Talk to your family / carer about the type of help you may need and how long you will need assistance for.

• Do you normally look after someone else? You will need to make some arrangements for their care if this is the case. Consider how long it will be until you can resume your carer’s role. This may be longer than just the time you are in hospital.

• Bring all of the medicines that you normally take to hospital with you so these can be continued. If you attend pre-admission clinic bring a list of your medicines and schedule of when you take them.

• You may need equipment such as crutches, a walking frame, toilet raiser, and shower chair to use at home until you are fully independent. These items can be hired from some local pharmacies or you can use Ramsay Pharmacy located in Lake St opposite Cairns Private Hospital. A deposit for these items is normally required and going home can be simpler if you have arranged this before you come in to hospital.

• What is the access to your home like? If you have steps or stairs, you may need to see the physio for some advice on managing these while you are in hospital. What is the access to your bath / shower like? Will it be difficult for you to manage this when you come home from hospital? You may consider installation of rails or a hand-held shower if this would make it easier for you.

• Will shopping and cooking be a problem when you go home? You may consider preparing some easily reheated meals and freezing them before you come to hospital or if you need Meals on Wheels arranged ask the nurse when you are admitted.

• Will your home be safe for you to move around in when you go home? If you have limited mobility or will be using a walking aid think about putting away slip mats and moving furniture to make access easier. A non-slip mat in the bath / shower may also be worth considering.

We look forward to caring for you during your hospital stay and assisting you towards a safe and speedy recovery. If you need further advice about your care while you are with us or you have concerns about your discharge home, please contact the Case Manager at Cairns Private Hospital: 4052 5287 (Mon-Fri).