We can help you if you have problems with bladder or bowel function, sexual health, pain or movement caused by injury or disease. We look after patients staying at The Royal Hospital for Women and those in the community who have been referred to one of our outpatient clinics. We also see patients referred from outpatient clinics on campus, for example: 

• RHW gynaecology oncology outpatients
• POWH/RHW Breast Service
• POWH Urology department
• RHW gynaecology outpatients
• UNSW Lifestyle Clinic
• RHW/POWH pain clinics

Our outpatient clinics are for those living in the community. Our clinics include:

• Physiotherapy outpatient service: We care for people living in the community with problems with their bladder, bowel and sexual health. We also support people as they recover from or plan to have surgery for example, breast, prostate and gynaecological surgery.
• Cancer Prehab and Rehab: We help people having cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery) by providing exercise plans, education, social support and self-management advice to improve response to cancer treatment, reduce cancer-related fatigue and manage side effects.
• Gestational diabetes GYM: We run exercise programs in the physiotherapy gymnasium to support people with diabetes in pregnancy improve their glucose control; provide follow-up after birth via our postnatal lifestyle session and prevent a diagnosis of diabetes for pregnant people who might be at risk.
• EMBODY: We provide virtual weekly group physiotherapy during pregnancy and after birth. The EMBODY program has been designed to be completed weekly during pregnancy and for up to 3-6 months after having a baby. The program combines movement with education to prevent common pelvic floor problems and improve the health of childbearing people. It’s a great way to get your pelvic floor exercises done! 

Our team includes trained pelvic floor physiotherapists, student physiotherapists and visiting physiotherapists completing training in pelvic health who will be responsible for your assessment and physiotherapy treatment plan.

We work in partnership with specialist nurses, midwives, medical and surgical specialists and your local doctor (GP).

Our administration officers can help you with bookings, referral management and telephone enquires.

We provide options to attend physiotherapy appointments and exercise programs via telehealth. This means that we communicate with you through a video link on your computer screen. We recommend attending your first appointment in person. If you would like to attend subsequent appointments via telehealth, you can discuss whether this option is suitable for you with your physiotherapist.

Health professional referral:

To come to the Physiotherapy Outpatient Department you will need to have your local doctor (GP) or treating specialist write you a referral letter explaining your relevant surgical and medical history. The referral may then be mailed, emailed or faxed to us or you can bring it into our department in person.

To make or cancel an appointment please telephone 9382 6540.

We try to see all of our patients as quickly as possible. However, we have a large number of patients seeking treatment. Appointments are offered based on urgency. Urgent conditions are generally given an appointment within a few days of receiving the referral. Non-urgent conditions may need to go on a waiting list. It can take up to 2 months for non-urgent conditions to receive an appointment.

Can I chose the day and time I attend appointments?

We will try to find appointment times that suit your availability. Our hours of operation however are 8:30am - 4:00pm Monday to Friday. We do not offer weekend treatments.

Self-referral for Physiotherapy services:

Click here to self-refer 

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. All physiotherapists in our team are committed to achieving the best possible health outcome for you and complete regular supervision with a senior or specialist physiotherapist. You can ask your physiotherapist if your care can be reviewed with a senior or specialist physiotherapist and your physiotherapist might suggest this from time to time.

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.

Read about other women's experiences of Physiotherapy by following the link below.

Care Opinion

Share your experiences of Australian health and care services by following the link below. We pass your stories to the right people to make a difference. 

Care Opinion

• Baby’s movement, what is normal
• Cervical Screening Test is safe at any time during pregnancy — MHCS (nsw.gov.au)
• Continence Health: Expecting a Baby 
• Continence Health: Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises for Women
• Diabetes in Pregnancy
• Early pregnancy care – planning a pregnancy and becoming pregnant
• Edinburgh Depression Scale
• Having a baby
• Hepatitis B Vaccination for your Newborn Baby
• Keeping your gums and teeth healthy while you are pregnant
• Labour Pains 
• Maternity care in Australia
• Pregnancy Information
• Pregnancy, birth and baby website and hotline
• Pregnancy protection and vaccination from preconception to birth
• Pregnancy Screening GBS (Group B Streptococcus)
• Protect your baby from whooping cough. Vaccinate for free when pregnant
• Protecting your baby against influenza starts when you’re pregnant
• Reducing third and fourth degree perineal tears
• RSV Vaccination before, during and after pregnancy
• Safer Baby Booklet
• Smoking and pregnancy 
• Vitamin K for newborn babies
• When to come to hospital in Labour 
• What to bring to hospital when having a baby
• You can have a cervical screening test at any time during pregnancy — MHCS (nsw.gov.au)

• Babies (3 – 12 months) 
• Breastfeeding tips for new mothers
• Breastfeeding videos
• Contraception after you have had a baby
• Continence Health: One in Three Women Who Ever Had a Baby Wet Themselves
• Cot to bed, Tummy time, Safe Sleeping, Safe Wrapping, Safe co-sleeping
• How Breastfeeding Works 
• Jaundice in newborn babies
• Love, Talk, Sing, Read, Play. Available on the Apple app.
• Love, Talk, Sing, Read, Play. Available on the Google app.
• Milestones matters
• Newborn (0 - 3 months) 
• Newborn Bloodspot Screening - Tests to protect your baby
• NSW Statewide Infant Screening – Hearing (SWISH) Program fact sheets
• Preschool (3 – 5 years) 
• Reducing SUDI and SIDS risk: in pictures
• RSV Vaccination before, during and after pregnancy
• SUDI/safe sleeping recommendation 
• Toddler (1 – 3 years) 
• The Blue book (Health record of the baby)

• Pregnancy, Birth and Baby - Hotline 1800 882 436
• Raising Children's Network 
• Australian Breastfeeding Association - Hotline 1800 686 268
• Health Direct - Hotline 1800 022 222

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

For more details on Sydney Healthcare Interpreting Services follow the link.

For more information about Cross Cultural Workers in Maternity & Child & Family Health Services in the district, see the SESLHD Multicultural Services page. 

Reference queries and research: Please contact the Librarian for help with research or information queries. 

Interlibrary loans: The Library can obtain a copy of an article or loan of a book not held on the Randwick Campus, using national and international resources.  Please note there may be a charge for some hard to obtain items or fast track services.  Request forms can be obtained from the Library. You can request items held in other libraries directly from the online catalogue. 

Current awareness service: A digest of article citations and news on women’s health can be set up for you on request using RSS feeds. Major weeklies such as the British Medical Journal, The Lancet and other journals on obstetrics, gynaecology, midwifery, neonatology and women’s health are included. RSS alerts may also be setup up for you by topic in your area of interest. Contact the Librarian for help with this service. 

Journals contents pages: Copies of contents pages of new journal issues received in the Library can be sent to you.  Contents pages can also be emailed to you directly from many publishers websites;  please ask the Librarian how to arrange this. 

Literature and database searches: The Librarian will run database searches on request. 

Tuition: Regular sessions on database searching and using CIAP are held in the Library Computer Room.  Individual tuition, or in-service sessions for your unit or department can also be arranged on request. 

Endnote: Endnote is a commercial reference management software package, used to manage bibliographies and references when writing essays and articles. The Librarian will run Endnote sessions on request. 

Computer facilities: There are currently no computers available in the RHW library. Computer facilities are available in the POWH Library, located in the Edmund Blacket building and can be used by RHW staff.  

Telephone: The telephone in the computer room has internal access only and may be used for answering pages. 

Prince of Wales and Sydney Children’s Hospital Library: Staff on the Randwick Hospitals Campus may also use the Prince of Wales and Sydney Children’s Hospital Library located in the Edmund Blacket Building. This is a large medical and nursing library covering all the specialties of both of these hospitals. 

KOHA online library catalogue 

With a wide range of resources and extensive staff expertise the library service supports the learning, teaching and research needs of staff and students throughout the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District in conjunction with Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD and St Vincent's libraries via a shared catalogue service called KOHA. All library resources are available to all staff.  

Each library maintains local responsibility for journals, books, expenditure and staffing matters. The holdings of each library come together in the common format of the shared libraries’ catalogue. In this way even the smaller libraries have access to the same large number of resources as the larger libraries. 

The catalogue allows you to search for the books and journals held in the libraries. Also you can reserve or renew the book or check what you have on loan. 

KOHA the online library catalogue

*Please be aware that CIAP and HCN contain links to other sites that might only be available to those that have Internet access. Contact the State Wide Service Desk for any problems with access. 

Information for SESLHD CIAP Users: 

The Clinical Information Access Portal (CIAP) provides information and resources to support evidence-based practice at the point of care. CIAP is available to all nurses, midwives, doctors, allied health, community health, and ancillary staff working in or for NSW public health system including students while on clinical placement in a NSW Health public hospital. CIAP can be accessed from work or from home.

Reference: Up to date editions of standard medical reference texts and textbooks which are constantly used or consulted by the RHW staff. These items are not for loan. 

Lending: These may be borrowed for three weeks.  Your RHW staff or student identification is required for lending.  Please see the Librarian to borrow a book. High demand student texts cannot be renewed and are limited to two per person. 

Research and historical: Older texts, historical material, research publications in specialised areas of obstetrics and gynaecology. These items are available for three week loan; please speak to the Librarian. 

https://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/royal-hospital-for-women/services-clinics/directory/mothersafeRoyal Hospital for Women's perinatal mental health team, comprised of psychiatrists, trainee psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health midwives, provides support during pregnancy and the first year post-birth. Eligibility includes all women delivering at RHW, with those in the local area able to access services for a year post-birth. During the booking visit, mental health is assessed, and referrals are made as needed. If interested in our services and not yet referred, please discuss with your midwife or doctor to arrange a referral.

Psychology

• The Perinatal and Women’s Mental Health Service supports women who are receiving antenatal care at the Royal, who have birthed at the Royal within the last year and live within the SESLHD, and parents whose babies are in the NICU. 
• For more information, see the Perinatal and Women’s Mental Health Psychology Service page.

Psychiatry

• Women can be referred by their general practitioner, obstetrician, social worker or the perinatal mental health midwife to see one of the psychiatry doctors. They will have a detailed assessment of their mental health and treatment recommendations will be made in collaboration with the women. Possible recommendations include monitoring, psychological therapy, and consideration of medication. 

CMC PNMH

• The Clinical Midwifery Consultant (CMC) in Perinatal Mental Health at RHW coordinates care for women booked into RHW for their baby who have mental health concerns such as anxiety or low mood, these include preexisting Mental Health conditions  or ones that emerge during the perinatal period. The CMC Perinatal Mental Health provides clinical advice to patients, carers, and other health professionals within a defined specialty. The CMC PNMH develops Psychosocial Support Plans for women when needed for their Birth & Postnatal admission.
• Referrals to the CMC Perinatal Mental Health are through the Multidisciplinary Case Discussion after the completion of the psychosocial questionnaire at booking. Referrals are made by the booking midwife and allocated to Perinatal Mental Health when appropriate. Referrals can also be made by your midwife, obstetrician, RMO or GP anytime during pregnancy.
• Referrals are also received up to the first year postpartum from GP’s, Child & Family Health Nurses, Karitane and/or Tresillian for women who live in the Eastern sector of SESLHD.

POMHS service

• The Perinatal Outreach Mental Health Service (POMHS) clinician is a psychologist or Mental Health Midwife/Nurse who provides care for families during pregnancy & up to 12 months postpartum who are faced with mental health challenges before or during pregnancy or in the transition to parenthood.

• The SESLHD Mental Health Service caters to a local population of over 930,000 residents in Sydney's eastern and south eastern suburbs, operates through networked services in the north (Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service) and south (St George and Sutherland Mental Health Service), encompassing both hospital and community settings. The service is committed to inclusivity and responsiveness, tailoring initiatives for consumers with complex needs. Providing age-specific and specialised services, the SESLHD Mental Health Service empowers stakeholders to influence system change. The service supports community understanding of mental health and effective treatment access. 
• Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that provides support, information, and resources related to mental health and emotional well-being during the perinatal period (from pregnancy to the early postnatal period). COPE offers a range of services, including online resources, helplines, and educational materials, to support individuals and families dealing with perinatal mental health issues.
• This Way Up offers online treatment programs for perinatal mental health designed to teach practical skills to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
• MotherSafe is a free telephone service for the women of NSW, based at the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick. The MotherSafe service provides a comprehensive counselling service for women and their healthcare providers concerned about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding. 

Our team comprises of:

• Clinical Pharmacists who can provide specialised knowledge in medications and provide advice to patients and other Health Care Professionals on dosing, potential interactions, and side effects of different medications.
• Pharmacy technicians who are responsible for dispensing medications and ensuring their timely delivery to you. They also offer support to the pharmacists in undertaking patient care.
• Our store and administrative personnel who oversee medication inventory management and ensure medications are accessible within the hospital wards.

In addition to working with your healthcare team, we also partner with your general practitioner (GP) and Community Health Services, as well as local pharmacies.

• Medicare card
• Concession or pension card (if you have one)
• Bring all your medicines with you. This includes prescription medicines including puffers, eye drops and creams as well as those you have bought without a prescription (includes herbal and alternative medicines). Please bring the original boxes.

• The nurses in the hospital will be responsible for administering your medications. It is important not to self-administer your own medications while you are in the hospital unless instructed to do so by your nurse or pharmacist.
• During your hospital stay, your medications may change. You may commence on new medications and some medications may be discontinued. Your hospital doctors should always involve you in these decisions and provide information about your treatment options.
• When you are discharged from the hospital, the pharmacy department may provide you with a small supply of any new medications or medications with changed dosages. You will need to schedule an appointment with your GP within five days of leaving the hospital to obtain prescriptions for any ongoing or new medications you may require.
• Before you are discharged, your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor will explain the medications you need to take at home, how to take them, the duration of treatment, and proper storage. They may also provide you with a list of your medications.
• Information leaflets about each medication are also available to help you better understand your medications. If you have any questions or need more information about your medications, you can ask your nurse, midwife, or doctor to contact the pharmacist.
• If you wish to speak to a pharmacist before leaving the hospital, please inform the nursing staff so that they can arrange for a pharmacist to meet with you.

The brand names of medications may sometimes be different to your usual medications. The active ingredient is responsible for the effects of the medication. The brand name is the name assigned by the pharmaceutical company. There might be several different brand names for the same medication. Therefore, the medication you get in the hospital might look different and have a different name compared to the one you are given at home (the hospital may not stock the same brand you have at home). If you have any concerns talk to the pharmacist, nurse or doctor.

While you are in the hospital, a pharmacist or doctor might come to see you to discuss your medications. They will inquire about the medications you are currently prescribed, how you are taking them, and if you're encountering any problems. They may offer suggestions to make it easier for you to take your medications, and if any medicines are not providing the expected benefits, they may discontinue them. This is also an opportunity for you to have a conversation about your medications and ask any questions you may have. This process is known as a medication review.

When you are discharged from the hospital, it is important to inform your GP, community pharmacist, and other healthcare providers about any changes made to your medications during your hospital stay. If you have been provided with a list of your medications when you left the hospital, be sure to bring it with you when you visit your GP and community pharmacist so that they can update their records accordingly. If you no longer require a particular medication, bring any remaining doses back to your local pharmacy for proper disposal.

If you require guidance or have questions once you are back home, you can either consult your local community pharmacist or contact the hospital pharmacy by phone.

There is no charge for medicines used when you are an inpatient and have a Medicare card.

If you present to the pharmacy with a prescription from the outpatient clinic, there may be a charge for your medications. The pharmacy staff will let you know what those charges are.

Healthdirect - 1800 022 222

Healthdirect is a health information service in Australia. It offers online health information and advice.

MotherSafe - 9382 6539 (Sydney Metropolitan Area)  1800 647 848 (Non-Metropolitan Area)

Mothersafe is a free telephone service, based at the Royal Hospital for Women. It provides a counselling service for women concerned about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

NSW Poisons Information Centre - 13 11 26

The Poisons Information Centre provides the latest information on poisons. You can ring 24 hours a day.

Staying Safe with Your Medicines

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.