Introduction to the Palmerston Regional Hospital
Palmerston Regional Hospital (PRH) is a 116-bed public hospital that has a range of services in specialty areas.
Find out about making an appointment, services, visiting, parking and hospital contact details.
Going to emergency
The emergency department is open 24 hours, seven days a week. You do not need an appointment.
Being admitted to hospital
Find out what you should bring and other information if you are being admitted to hospital.
Make an appointment in the outpatient department of the Palmerston Regional Hospital
You need a written referral to see a specialist at the hospital. This must come from an authorised healthcare professional.
You cannot make an appointment without this referral.
After you get a referral
Once your referral has been reviewed by the specialist, you will be offered an appointment.
If you have a mobile phone, you will receive a text message two days before to remind you about your appointment.
If your appointment is not urgent, you will be sent an appointment letter.
You should tell the hospital if your phone number or address changes.
Attending your appointment
You should arrive on time for your appointment. If you're late the doctor may not be able to see you.
Bring your current Medicare card as it will need to be checked when you arrive at reception. If you don't have a Medicare card, you may be charged extra fees.
To find the outpatient department, follow the signs from the hospital’s main entrance or ask one of our way finders for assistance.
Cancellations and rescheduling
Sometimes the number of emergency appointments may mean your appointment is postponed.
You must give 24 hours notice if you need to reschedule your appointment, so other patients can be offered your appointment.
If you need to cancel your appointment call 08 8922 8699.
If you miss your appointment
If you don't go to your scheduled outpatient appointment, your medical history will be reviewed and you may be removed from the waiting list.
Alternatively, a specialist may decide that you still need urgent or non-urgent care.
If you need urgent care, hospital staff will phone you and book another appointment.
If you need non-urgent care, you will be sent a letter inviting you to contact the outpatient department to book another appointment.
If you don't contact the outpatient department within 30 days you will be discharged from the specialist clinic.
The hospital will consider your circumstances if you are disadvantaged or are experiencing genuine hardship.
Contact the outpatient department
You can call the outpatient department from 8am to 4:15pm Monday to Friday on 08 8922 8699.
If you have a referral, you can email it to rdhopd@nt.gov.au or fax it to 08 8923 7620.
Get help from an Aboriginal interpreter
You can ask for an Aboriginal interpreter to help you understand information during your hospital appointment.
Professional interpreters can be with you during your appointment, or link up via video conference or over the phone.
The service is free if you are a patient in hospital or when you come to hospital for an appointment.
Aboriginal interpreters for Alice Springs Hospital appointments can be booked by calling 08 8951 5576.
The Aboriginal Interpreter Service also offers a 24 hour on-call service on 1800 334 944.
Services available at the Palmerston Regional Hospital
You can access the following services at the Palmerston Regional Hospital (PRH).
Read below for more information or contact PRH.
Emergency care
If you are seriously hurt or sick, you can go to the hospital's emergency department for urgent treatment.
When you present at the emergency department, you will be treated and managed based on your clinical needs.
However, if you are critically ill or have a life-threatening condition, you will be stabilised and transferred to Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH).
If you need to stay at the hospital for up to 24 hours for medical treatment but don't need to be admitted or transferred to RDH, you will be moved to the extended emergency medicine unit (EEMU).
If you need longer treatment, you may be moved to the medical ward for general care or transferred to RDH.
Rehabilitation
If you are a patient over the age of 16, you can access rehabilitation services at the hospital if you:
- have rehabilitation goals
- have a positive attitude
- will benefit from inter-disciplinary rehabilitation services.
Rehabilitation can help improve your mobility and regain your independence after a major illness or injury.
The facility includes:
- dedicated therapy space
- gym
- hydrotherapy pool.
You can get assessment, triage, treatment, inpatient and outpatient services for conditions such as:
- acquired brain injury
- spinal cord injury
- stroke and neurological conditions
- vascular conditions and amputation
- post-surgical and medical deconditioning
- major burns
- deconditioning
- amputation
- initial gait training
- multi-trauma
- orthopaedic Injuries
- neurological conditions
Multi-trauma or orthopaedics injuries are treated by a multidisciplinary team of rehabilitation medical specialists including:
- nurses
- medical consultants
- physiotherapists
- occupational therapists
- speech pathologists
- psychologists
- podiatrists
- prosthetics
- social workers
- dietitians
- chaplains.
Make an appointment with the rehabilitation outpatient services
You can self-referral to the service or have your healthcare provider refer you.
Exclusions
You cannot be referred to the service if you:
- reside in an aged care facility
- are awaiting nursing home placement
- are only needing assessments
- are requesting access to the NDIS
- are a surgical patients requiring ongoing surgical intervention
- are a burns patients requiring significant specialist burns nurse review
- are a medical patients requiring ongoing specialised treatment that cannot be provided at PRH
- have an age related neurological deterioration and no specific diagnosis
- need vocational rehabilitation
- need a driving assessments.
Contact
To contact the ward in relation to someone being treated as an inpatient, you can contact 08 7979 9301.
Outpatients can request a referral form by calling the rehabilitation outpatient service on 08 7979 9502.
Submit your completed form by email or post.
RehabServicesOutpatients.THS@nt.gov.au
Outpatient Coordinator
PO Box 41326
Casuarina NT 0811
Geriatric
The geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) service aims to improve the quality of life and mobility of older patients.
The service involves goal setting with a medical, nursing and allied health team approach.
The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The service can provide:
- specialist consultation and assessment
- inpatient and outpatient services including:
- a dedicated constant care team
- community outreach support services.
- allied health services:
- occupational therapy
- dietitian
- physiotherapy
- speech pathology
- social worker
- psychology.
Accessing the service
GEM can assist with people who:
- are 65 years and over or 50 years and over if yo are an Aboriginal person.
- have functional deterioration due to a medical condition or hospital admission
- require inpatient geriatric multidisciplinary care
- require a trial of therapy to determine the potential for recovery
- are motivated and able to engage in therapy
- are in or awaiting residential care facility placement
- have dementia and difficult behaviours (delirium and BPSD) for medical, psychosocial management and behaviour plans.
You cannot be referred to the service if you require acute ongoing medical or surgical intervention.
Get a referral to GEM
You can be referred to the service by your doctor.
Contact
Fore more information about GEM call 08 7979 9334 or email GEMward.PRH@nt.gov.au.
Doctor's referrals can be emailed or faxed to 08 7979 9791.
Medical wards
Medical inpatient wards are generally for patients with a less complex medical condition.
If you need more critical care, you may be transferred to Royal Darwin Hospital.
Day surgery
The hospital provides planned day surgery. This means you can come into hospital for a procedure and leave on the same day.
Examples of planned day surgical procedures include:
- endoscopies
- dental
- urology
- ear, nose and throat
- gynaecology.
Depending on your needs, Top End Health Service will schedule your surgery at either Palmerston Regional Hospital or Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH).
When you come in for planned day surgery, you will have access to:
- pre-admission clinics
- consultation diagnosis
- treatment
- pain management
- post-surgery care.
If you more need complex surgical procedures, they will be carried out at the RDH.
Maternity
You can get a range of maternity services at the hospital including the following:
- pregnancy check-ups
- monitoring
- education
- advice to expectant mothers
- follow up care post birth
- mother and baby monitoring
- breastfeeding advice.
Labour and birth services are available at Royal Darwin Hospital.
Outpatient
Outpatient services are for people who are coming to hospital to see a specialist.
These types of services don't require an overnight stay in hospital.
You can access all of the following services at the hospital:
- antenatal
- diabetes/endocrinology
- endoscopy
- allied health
- pain clinic
- chronic pain management
- Geriatric Evaluation Management (GEM)
- general medicine
- general surgery
- gynaecology
- haematology
- infectious diseases/viral hepatitis
- paediatrics
- palliative care
- postnatal
- rehabilitation
- respiratory - including pulmonary lung function testing
- rheumatology
- other speciality services.
Paediatric
Inpatient paediatric care remains at Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) and most surgical procedures for children will continue to be carried out there.
You may be able to schedule some day surgery procedures at Palmerston Regional Hospital (PRH).
PRH's emergency department will assess and provide emergency care for children.
If your child needs intensive, critical care or has ongoing needs, they will be stabilised and transferred to RDH.
If your child needs overnight or longer-term care, they will be transferred to Darwin.
A small number of beds are dedicated for children who are admitted with short term, non-life-threatening conditions such as:
- mild dehydration
- mild gastroenteritis
- cold symptoms
- mild asthma.
Visit the Palmerston Regional Hospital
Changes to hospital visits
The following visiting rules apply:
- two adults and one child per patient can visit for a maximum of 2 hours each day
- visiting hours are between 10am to 7pm
- visitors except children under 2 must wear a mask
- visitors can't enter COVID-19 red zones where there is a confirmed case unless they have an exemption - read more below.
Visitors can apply for an exemption in special circumstances.
To apply, call the switchboard on 08 8922 8888, and ask to speak to the:
- ward clinical nurse manager during business hours
- hospital resources coordinator after hours.
Visitors screening and masks
All visitors except children under 2 must wear a surgical mask at all times.
Patients being visited will also have to wear a surgical mask (if tolerated).
Stay up to date with the latest information on the NT Health website.
Find out how to get to Palmerston Regional Hospital.
Visiting during a COVID-19 lockdown or lockout
Visiting arrangements at Northern Territory hospitals are restricted during lockdowns and lockouts to keep patients, staff and the community safe.
Gifts
You should ask nursing staff before bringing lollies, food and drinks.
Some items may not be allowed while the patient is having a course of treatment.
Cafe
The cafe at the front of the hospital is open:
- 6:30am to 5pm on weekdays
- 7:30am to 3pm on weekends.
Interpreter services
Staff can help you book an interpreter service or you can make a booking by contacting the Aboriginal Interpreter Service.
Smoking
Smoking is not allowed at Palmerston Regional Hospital.
If you need to smoke, you can use the designated outdoor smoking area near the main car park.
Get help
If you need help to find your way around the hospital, you can ask a volunteer.
Volunteers are on site most weekdays from 8:30am to 12 noon.
Parking at the Palmerston Regional Hospital
Parking at the hospital is free of charge, with allocated disabled parking spaces.
Parking map
Palmerston Regional Hospital parking map PDF (330.5 KB)
Where you can't park
You cannot park in the following areas:
- the drop-off zone in front of the emergency department
- on verges, grassed areas within the campus boundaries, unless there are signs saying you can do so
- reserved bays for ambulances, police or on-call medical staff.
Contact Palmerston Regional Hospital
For an emergency, call 000.
You can contact Palmerston Regional Hospital using the details below.
Palmerston Regional Hospital
PO Box 41326
Casuarina NT 0811
palmerstonhospital.doh@nt.gov.au
Phone: 08 7979 9200
How to get there
The hospital is on Linco Road which can be accessed from the intersection of Temple Terrace and Stuart Highway.
To get to the hospital using public transport, get the public bus timetables and maps for Darwin and Palmerston.
Complaints and feedback
Staff are available at PRH to support you while you're in hospital or visiting.
You can make a complaint, suggestion or ask a question about hospital services by calling the number above, emailing palmerstonregionalhospital.mainreception@nt.gov.au or going to the Department of Health website.