Ward FAQs

Visiting hours are between 10am to 8pm daily. We ask patients to have a maximum of two visitors at their bedside at a time, to facilitate staff in providing bedside care.

No. Do not visit if you are unwell or have symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, cough or shortness of breath

We ask patients to have a maximum of two visitors at their bedside at a time, to facilitate staff in providing bedside care.

There are comfortable family lounge areas located on each of the units for visitors who are waiting to see a patient. The lounge areas have tea and coffee making facilities and a television.

Children are very welcome to visit patients when they are accompanied by a responsible adult who is conscious of the need to keep noise levels to a minimum, given some patients can be feeling quite unwell. As patients' immunity is reduced after chemotherapy, it may be better to delay visits by infants and children if the patient has just received a course of treatment.

There is a public toilet at the entrance of each ward of the ONJ Centre and on other floors throughout the hospital.

Before visiting, pregnant women should check with nursing staff on the ward, as some procedures make the patient radioactive for a short period of time.

Inpatients of the cancer units are provided with all their meals. If you want to bring food and drinks from home, there is a fridge and microwave in the family lounge. Please date and label all items clearly with the patient's name. Food will be discarded after 24 hours.

There is:

• A coffee cart on Level 3 of the ONJ Centre
• A cafe on Level 3 of the Harold Stokes Building
• A food court on Level 1 of the Austin Tower
• ATMs on Level 1 of the Austin Tower.

The ONJ Centre and the rest of Austin Health, including its grounds, are smoke free in the interests of the health and wellbeing of patients, staff and visitors.

You can purchase a Phone Away phone card from the vending machine on Level 8, near the visitor lifts. This will enable you to make phone calls from the bedside. You are also able to use your mobile phone on the unit.

It is best to leave all items of value at home. You may bring a padlock from home to lock valuables in your bedside locker.

While an inpatient, medications will be supplied. Personal supplies of medications will be locked in a secure cupboard on the ward. Please collect them at discharge.

You can hire a TV for your stay for a small fee. Please ask a staff member about this service.

Two computers with free Wi-Fi access are provided on each ward for patient use. Accessing the ONJ Centre guest Wi-Fi network through your own computer needs to be arranged with our IT department. Speak to the nurse in charge if you wish to use your own computer.

We ask that all visitors keep to visiting hours, unless otherwise arranged with ward staff. If you wish to stay overnight with your family member whilst they are in hospital please talk to the nurse in charge of the unit to discuss your options.

The ONJ Centre is part of Austin Health, a public hospital. Some patients may wish to be treated as a private patient whilst they are in hospital at the ONJ. This does not necessarily mean that you will be assigned a private room. Rooms are assigned to patients according to their particular needs and care requirements. Private rooms are generally reserved for patients who have infections and need to be isolated, patients that are immuno-compromised, terminally ill patients or patients that have received specific treatments that leave them radioactive for a period of time.

On occasion you may be assigned a private room even when you don't meet the above criteria, however, you may be asked to change rooms to accommodate a new patient within this criteria at the discretion of the nurse in charge of the unit.

Single rooms are generally reserved for patients who have infections and need to be isolated, patients that are immuno-compromised or terminally ill patients.

Lead lined rooms on 6 South are used for patients that have received Radioactive Iodine treatment for Thyroid Cancer. These rooms are also used for general patient use when they are not being used for Iodine patients. 

These rooms are used for patients that have a contagious infection or disease that can be spread by airborne particles such as influenza or tuberculosis. This room can also be assigned for general patient use if there is not a patient on the ward requiring such isolation.

These rooms are used for all other patients that do not fall into any of the above categories. We always endeavour to keep male and female specific rooms, however on occasion you may be assigned to a mixed room. Please see your nurse in charge if you have any personal requests regarding this matter and they will do their best to accommodate your wishes.