What is Acute Care?

Acute care at MDHS includes admitted and non-admitted services such as urgent care, surgical services, maternity services, specialist clinics and medical imaging.

 

Amherst Ward – Maryborough Campus

The Amherst Ward provides person-centred care for medical, surgical, maternity and palliative care patients. The ward is staffed by experienced nurses with a strong commitment to high standards of clinical care.

Amherst Ward is a 28-bed ward and operates in compliance with the Safe Patient Care Act (Nurse to Patient Ratios) Amendment Act 2019.

If you are a patient admitted to Amherst Ward, you can expect quality care from our team of consulting physicians, specialists, allied health staff and nursing staff.

 

Dunolly Campus

The Dunolly campus has two beds dedicated to acute care and two beds for transition care. Patients can receive medical and palliative care in these beds. The Dunolly campus operates in compliance with the Safe Patient Care Act (Nurse to Patient Ratios) Amendment Act 2019. Read our nursing ratios.

Please note that Dunolly and Avoca campuses do not have facilities to provide urgent care.

 

Acute Care Services

MDHS provides the following acute care services to the community:

Maternity services

Our passionate, committed and tight-knit maternity team provides care for families in our local community at all stages of the pregnancy, birth and early parenting journey. We have one birth suite and 4 post-natal beds as part of a mixed general ward. More info about MDHS maternity services

Surgery

General and specialist surgical services at MDHS are provided by several consulting surgeons from the larger regional centres. These specialists provide surgery including ear, nose & throat, obstetrics & gynaecology, urology, general surgery, dental and endoscopic surgery. Your GP can provide a referral to one of our consulting surgeons dependant on your needs.

Post-Acute Care

Post-Acute Care services aim to assist people discharged from hospital who require short-term tailored, community-based support services to recuperate in the community.

 

Oncology 

MDHS Oncology Services support the wider Maryborough Community, providing a safe environment to administer treatment for staff and patients. Our oncology service works in partnership with Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre (BRICC). This partnership allows local community members the ability to see their oncologist locally to plan the course of treatment.

This important initiative provides services such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, intravenous immunoglobulin, blood transfusions and iron infusions

Our staff are trained oncology nurses equipped to provide this specialist service.

 

Palliative Care

Palliative Care is specialised multidisciplinary care for people with a serious illness that focuses on providing patients with relief from symptoms, pain and stress of a serious life-illness, regardless of diagnosis.

MDHS Palliative Care Services aims to achieve the best possible quality of life for clients, residents, carers, and families.

Our team provide person-centred palliative treatment, involving clients in all aspects of decision making in regards to care.

 

Dialysis

Dialysis patients can receive treatment at the Maryborough campus in our recently extended Dialysis Unit, which includes six chairs.

Local patients can receive dialysis locally rather than having to travel to larger regional centres for treatment. Dialysis services are also able to be arranged for visiting clients where possible.

To find out how to access our dialysis unit, please call 0354 610 317.

 

Medical Imaging 

The Medical Imaging Department provides an extensive high-quality imaging service to inpatients and outpatients referred by hospital clinics, specialists and General Practitioners.

The imaging services provided include:

• CT scanning
• General Radiology (XRAY)
• Ultrasound; include obstetrics, abdominal, pelvic, renal, small parts and most musculoskeletal examinations.
• Echocardiography examinations are provided on a fortnightly basis.
• Medical Imaging also has a dental unit (OPG) which allows visualisation of all the teeth in one image.
• Bone Densitometry

The Medical Imaging department is located near the Urgent Care Centre at the Maryborough campus. The Department is open from 8:30am- 5:00pm Monday to Friday.

Appointments are necessary for all examinations, but emergency/urgent examinations will be attended to as soon as possible.

Please contact the Medical Imaging department directly to arrange your appointment on telephone 5461 0353.