Medical and surgical

Palliative care

Palliative care supports patients and families who are experiencing a potentially life-limiting condition, or an illness that is not responding to curative treatment.

Our palliative care helps you remain active and comfortable for as long as possible. We also help minimise any distress caused by pain and other symptoms. We support you to make important choices about your treatment and care.

Our caregivers do everything possible to ensure you and your family are fully supported when accessing our palliative care services.

Palliative care services

Our palliative care services support the physical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of living with a life-limiting or terminal illness, including providing information, goal setting, and coordinating care.

Palliative care acknowledges dying as a natural part of life and includes good end-of-life care, but for some patients palliative care interventions have actually been shown to prolong life too.

We adopt a interdisciplinary approach involving a variety of health and social care professionals to help improve your quality of life. You are encouraged to be fully involved in the decision-making process when putting in place a palliative care plan.

Referrals

Referrals to palliative care may be made through your treating doctor or General Practitioner. Your nurse can arrange referrals to other members of the palliative care service.

Palliative caregivers

We always put your comfort and health needs first. Your caregivers may include:

a palliative care specialist who will explain the benefits of different medications and treatment options available for the control of pain, nausea and other symptoms
nurses who will be in regular contact with you and your family, to answer questions about your care, and advise you on how to manage your symptoms and your care when you return home
medial experts who can provide advice and prescriptions for appropriate medications to manage pain and other symptoms in addition to expertise in excellent care
a counsellor to provide formal emotional support and help you develop coping strategies
a social worker to provide emotional support and provide information about community resources and practical matters
allied health professionals who can assist with your ongoing needs
a pastoral care service that provides confidential personal support, and spiritual and religious ministry for those who want it.

Costs and fee payment options

If you have private health insurance, the costs for your hospital stay and specialist fees may be covered by your health fund, based on your level of cover.

If you don’t have private health insurance, you can access treatment at a St John of God Health Care hospital through our self-funded care option.

When you use your private health insurance, you get benefits that include access to St John of God Health Care private hospital facilities, your choice of specialist, minimal wait times, and with an eligible policy most of your hospital costs can be covered by your private health insurance fund.

You should contact your health insurer to understand your level of cover, and whether your policy is subject to additional fees such as a hospital excess or other ‘out-of-pocket’ expenses. Your health insurer will also be able to assist in understanding if you will have doctor, radiology and pathology out-of-pocket costs.

Learn more about the benefits of private health insurance.

Patients who don’t have private health insurance can choose to access St John of God Health Care private hospital services and treatments by paying fees themselves.

By accessing our self-funded care option, you’ll be able to avoid wait times and have your surgery or treatment with your choice of specialist at a St John of God Health Care private hospital.

Learn more and enquire about the self-funded care option.
Call 1300 940 199 to get a quote for self-funded treatment.

If you have received an invoice for an expense associated with treatment from a St John of God Health Care service you can pay your bill online.

Pay my bill.