Your stay or visit to Modbury Hospital

Aboriginal health support

Aboriginal Health Practitioners and Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officers at the Modbury Hospital provide cultural, social and emotional support to Aboriginal families living in Adelaide’s north and north-eastern suburbs.

If you want to speak with a liaison officer about your health care, please contact the hospital switchboard on (08) 8161 2000.

Accessible amenities

A Changing Places amenity is available on the ground floor near the main entrance to the Modbury Hospital. This convenience is specially designed for people living with a disability and includes a range of customised features not available in standard accessible facilities.

Changing Places toilets provide:

  • a height-adjustable adult-sized change table
  • a constant-charging ceiling track hoist system
  • a centrally-located peninsula toilet
  • circulation spaces as defined in the design specifications
  • an automatic door with a clear opening of 950mm
  • increased space to accommodate mobility aids and up to two carers
  • a privacy screen

The best-practice design toilet gives people with a disability a dignified and purpose-built amenity to use when they are out and enables everyone to participate in society with more independence.

The facility is now listed on the Changing Places find a toilet feature.

Advance care directives

An Advance Care Directive (ACD) is a legally binding document that expresses your future wishes or directions for health care and personal matters. The ACD applies if you are unable to make your own decisions in the future and it can appoint one or more substitute decision-makers to make decisions for you.

You can write an ACD at any stage of life. To write an ACD, you must be 18 years or older, it must be your choice and you must know what an ACD is, know what it will be used for, and know when it will be used.

The Advance Care Directives Act 2013 came into effect from 1 July 2014. If you have already completed an Enduring Power of Guardianship, a Medical Power of Attorney or an Anticipatory Direction, these documents remain legally effective after 1 July 2014. If you have any of these documents, please provide a certified copy to staff to be stored with your medical record.

For more information, go to the Advance care planning website.

Aggressive and abusive behaviour, drugs and weapons

Patients, carers, volunteers and staff all want health services to be delivered and received without personal threat or risk. Violence or abusive behaviour is not tolerated at any NALHN site. Any incidents of aggression, abuse or violence should immediately be reported to a staff member for further action. Your report will be kept confidential.

Public hospitals will take action to protect staff, patients and visitors against such behaviour, and measures taken may include eviction or detention for prosecution under the Health Care Act 2008.

Similarly, possessing, using, providing or dealing in prohibited substances and weapons is not tolerated at any SA Health site, including public hospitals, and will be dealt with under applicable laws. 

NALHN is an accredited White Ribbon Workplace and is committed to supporting individuals and families affected by domestic and family violence. A staff member will ask, assess and respond to you and your family needs.

Consent

Medical Consent

You have the right to make an informed choice about the health and medical care and treatment you want, or do not want.  This is known as “consent to medical treatment”.

Financial Consent

As a public Medicare patient, you generally do not have to pay for your treatment or your stay in hospital. If you elect to be treated as a private patient at Modbury Hospital you will receive an explanation of the out-of-pocket costs that may be incurred prior to treatment.

You can find out more information on consent to medical treatment and financial consent at Modbury Hospital

Confidentiality, privacy and access to personal information

Public hospitals collect, use and store confidential information about patients and their illnesses for administrative purposes and so they can be provided with appropriate care and treatment.
SA Health has adopted a Code of Fair Information Practice to ensure that all public hospitals and health units comply with a set of privacy principles. The principles regulate the way personal health information is collected, used, disclosed, stored and transferred.
Your information may be shared with members of your health care team, including your general practitioner, and service providers including pathologists, radiologists, allied health professionals and pharmacists.

To identify ways we can improve the care and for educational purposes, we sometimes give, hospital staff, training medical officers, health or medical researchers, and committees access to medical records. You are assured that all staff are bound by strict confidentiality and no information to identify you or your treatment is kept for any purpose other than your health care.

You have the right to access information kept about you by SA Health, either personally or through another person you nominate. If you wish to access your personal health records, please ask to speak with a Freedom of Information Officer at the hospital.

More information about confidentiality is in the booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities, which is available in 16 languages.

Emergency management and security

Emergency management

All hospital emergency responses comply with Australian Standards. In the event of a fire or emergency, please remain calm and you and your visitors should stay by your bed, staff will let you know what is happening. Your visitors should stay with you. Follow directions from staff, the hospital’s Emergency Response Team or emergency services personnel if present.

Security

The Security Officers at the Hospital provide security 24 hours per day for patients, visitors, staff and hospital infrastructure. You can contact them through the ward staff or via the switchboard on (08) 8161 2000.

Finding your way around

Maps are available to help you navigate the Modbury Hospital, see the Finding your way around Modbury page

Food and beverages

Food and beverages are available for purchase by patients and visitors at the easy-to-find café located at the main entrance of the Modbury Hospital.

The Long Shot Café provide barista-made coffee, food, beverages and convenience items for staff, patients and visitors.

Every season, the menu introduces new foods that are weekly rotated to ensure plenty of choices, many of which contain gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan and halal options.

The café offers:

  • a menu focused on a wide range of healthy, fresh and tasty meal options;
  • high-quality food and coffee with an on-site chef and barista;
  • all-day meal options available with takeaway options;
  • seating for a quick coffee/meal in a relaxed atmosphere; and
  • specialised catering services.

Fresh+ Café Opening hours

  • Monday to Friday: 7:30am – 6:00pm
  • Saturday to Sunday: 9:00am – 5:30pm
  • public holidays: 9:00am – 5:30pm
  • happy hour (reduced coffee prices): 2:00pm – 3:00pm daily

Interpreter services

Modbury Hospital engages an external service provider for interpreters for a range of languages, including sign language. If you need an interpreter to help you to understand what is being said so you can make an informed decision, please ask staff to arrange an interpreter for you.

More information about interpreter services is in the booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities.

Involvement in your care, medicines and pain management

You are an important member of your health care team, along with your nurses/midwives, doctors and allied health professionals. It is vital that you share information about your health with the other members of your health care team, especially if you notice any changes in your condition. Make sure you tell your health care team if you have any questions or concerns, so everyone can help decide on a shared plan that is best for your wellbeing.

Medicines

You may be prescribed medicines as part of your treatment. Understanding more about medicines will help us work with you to provide you with safe health care.

Pain Management

Good pain control is important and can help you feel more comfortable and maybe even get well faster.

Find out more information about being involved in your care, medicines and pain management at Modbury Hospital.

Open disclosure

Open disclosure is the open discussion of adverse events that result in harm to a patient while receiving health care with the patient, their family and carers.

You can read more about Open disclosure on the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Open disclosure consumer resources page. Information is available in easy English and 25 language translations.

Organ and tissue donation

We support organ and tissue donation. In South Australia, organ and tissue programs are coordinated by Donate Life. For more information visit the Donate Life website or speak with your nurse caring for you or your relative.

Patient entertainment

Patient entertainment

Digital TV screens are available in wards and rooms offering patients and their families/carers with access to over 34 free to air TV channels at no charge.

In addition, there is a dedicated channel providing health information and organisational information about the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network.

Public Wi-Fi

Free public Wi-Fi is available for visitors and patients at the Modbury Hospital.   For more information, go to the Public Wi-Fi page.

Patient property and safe food storage

Find out more information on patient property and safe food storage at Modbury Hospital.

Preventing a fall, preventing pressure injuries, and preventing and managing infections

Find out more information on preventing falls, preventing pressure injuries, and preventing and managing infections at Modbury Hospital.

Teaching

The training of future health professionals is a task that the staff take very seriously. We ask that you consider helping us by accepting students as part of your health care team. However, should you prefer not to participate in such teachings at any time, please advise our staff. We shall respect your wishes.

Smoke-free policy

Modbury Hospital is a smoke-free environment and there are no designated areas for smoking. This also includes electronic cigarettes.

If you are a smoker, please ensure your healthcare team, including your anaesthetist, are aware. Support is also available at all public hospitals in South Australia to help you manage nicotine withdrawal while you are in hospital, including nicotine replacement therapy. Please discuss this with your treating doctor.

Our smoke-free policy protects staff, patients and visitors from second-hand smoke. Information, assistance and counselling to help you to quit smoking are available. Please speak with a member of staff or call the Quitline on 13 78 48.

Spiritual care

Spirituality is something we all have and for each person, it is personal and individual. It can include caring for one another, love, hope, strength, connection to country, meaning and purpose. Our Spiritual Care team is available to sit and offer deep reflective listening about what is important to you and who you are.

If you have a faith tradition or religious belief, we can arrange, upon request, support from that tradition. A place of prayer is located at Modbury Hospital where you are welcome to sit and contemplate the questions and thoughts that may have arisen during your admission.

Feel free to ask any staff member to request a visit from the hospital Spiritual Care Team or direction to the Place of prayer.

Statements of rights for mental health consumers

There are statements of rights for mental health consumers on Community Treatment Orders and Inpatient Treatment Orders. These statements provide information about mental health treatment orders, mental health care and summarises the rights and responsibilities of consumers of mental health services.

Visiting hours

For more information see the visiting hours at Modbury Hospital page.