We are a specialised team of cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiothoracic anaesthetists, intensive care specialists, nurses and allied health professionals.

The majority of our patients are admitted as emergencies, although some are booked admissions for investigations or procedures. Usually patients stay 3-5 days however some patients may require only a short admission and others may require longer stays.

You may find being admitted to a cardiac unit quite frightening and stressful, however, our staff are here to support you and your family as you recover.

Once admitted to hospital you will probably have a number of tests to determine how well your heart is working. You may be asked to fast (not eat) before these.  

A significant number of our patients come from areas outside of Sydney.  We have a social worker who can assist with transport and accommodation if required.

In general, 3-5 days however some patients may require only a short admission and others may require longer stays.

In most cases, you will need to see a heart specialist after leaving our hospital. If you live in the local area, we will give you an appointment to see the specialist you saw at our hospital. If you live outside our local area, or already have your own cardiologist we suggest you make your own appointment. You will need a referral from your GP to see a specialist. We recommend that you contact the specialist’s rooms before your appointment to ask how much the appointment will cost. Some of the cost will be refundable from Medicare.

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.

Heart Foundation

My heart, my life app (Heart Foundation)

We are a specialised team of cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiothoracic anaesthetists, intensive care specialists, nurses and allied health professionals.

The majority of our patients are admitted as emergencies, although some are booked admissions for investigations or procedures. Usually patients stay 3-5 days however some patients may require only a short admission and others may require longer stays.

You may find being admitted to a cardiac unit quite frightening and stressful, however, our staff are here to support you and your family as you recover.

Once admitted to hospital you will probably have a number of tests to determine how well your heart is working. You may be asked to fast (not eat) before these.  

A significant number of our patients come from areas outside of Sydney.  We have a social worker who can assist with transport and accommodation if required.

In general, 3-5 days however some patients may require only a short admission and others may require longer stays.

In most cases, you will need to see a heart specialist after leaving our hospital. If you live in the local area, we will give you an appointment to see the specialist you saw at our hospital. If you live outside our local area, or already have your own cardiologist we suggest you make your own appointment. You will need a referral from your GP to see a specialist. We recommend that you contact the specialist’s rooms before your appointment to ask how much the appointment will cost. Some of the cost will be refundable from Medicare.

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.

Heart Foundation

My heart, my life app (Heart Foundation)

Our team includes:

Specialist doctors 

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

Neuropsychology

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 

Mrs Suja Varghese

Inpatient VEEG and Outpatient AEEG Coordinator

Mrs Roxanne Fielding, senior technical officer, performs long-term EEG studies and is responsible for VEED and AEEG booking and coordination.

Advanced Imaging Analysis

Dr Danny Flanagan, senior technical officer, performs long-term EEG studies and advanced imaging analysis.

Secretary

Ms Natalie Dambiec 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. Please provide your mobile phone number you so we can send you an SMS reminder 2 days before your appointment. You must reply to this text or your appointment will be cancelled. You must reply to this SMS reminder 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.

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

If you have a Medicare card and your doctor includes the name of one of our doctors in the referral, the hospital will bulk bill Medicare and you will be charged nothing. If you wish to be treated as a Public Patient, you will not be charged and Medicare will not be billed. This will not affect your treatment in any way. In some other situations (including referrals from the Emergency Department), you will pay nothing and Medicare will not be billed. If you do not have a Medicare card or are visiting from a country that does not have a Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement with Australia, you will be billed by the hospital.

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 

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

Neuropsychology

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 

Mrs Suja Varghese

Inpatient VEEG and Outpatient AEEG Coordinator

Mrs Roxanne Fielding, senior technical officer, performs long-term EEG studies and is responsible for VEED and AEEG booking and coordination.

Advanced Imaging Analysis

Dr Danny Flanagan, senior technical officer, performs long-term EEG studies and advanced imaging analysis.

Secretary

Ms Natalie Dambiec 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. Please provide your mobile phone number you so we can send you an SMS reminder 2 days before your appointment. You must reply to this text or your appointment will be cancelled. You must reply to this SMS reminder 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.

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

If you have a Medicare card and your doctor includes the name of one of our doctors in the referral, the hospital will bulk bill Medicare and you will be charged nothing. If you wish to be treated as a Public Patient, you will not be charged and Medicare will not be billed. This will not affect your treatment in any way. In some other situations (including referrals from the Emergency Department), you will pay nothing and Medicare will not be billed. If you do not have a Medicare card or are visiting from a country that does not have a Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement with Australia, you will be billed by the hospital.

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