Principles
To select the right adult service, use these three guiding principles.
- For continuity of care, patients are advised to return to the spinal unit and associated services where they were treated after their initial spinal cord injury.
- Patients may choose to change spinal services. However, it is strongly advised that this be done in consultation with the spinal service to which the client has established links. Generally, this is the spinal service that provided services to the client after their acute injury.
- For patients not associated with either spinal unit, referrals are based on residential address. For paediatric services, referrals should be made to the most convenient service (not necessarily based on the patient's residential address).
North
Royal North Shore Hospital and Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney accept new referrals from the northern part of metropolitan Sydney and northern NSW. This area is within the boundaries of the following local health districts:
- Central Coast
- Far West
- Hunter New England
- Mid North Coast
- Northern NSW
- Northern Sydney
- Western NSW.
South
Prince of Wales Hospital accepts new referrals from the southern part of metropolitan Sydney and southern NSW. This area is within the boundaries of the following local health districts:
- Illawarra Shoalhaven
- Murrumbidgee
- Nepean Blue Mountains
- South Eastern Sydney
- South Western Sydney
- Southern NSW
- Sydney
- Western Sydney.
Prince of Wales Hospital also accepts referrals from the Australian Capital Territory.
Services
North
Royal North Shore Hospital Spinal Cord Injury Unit
Royal North Shore Hospital offers a full range of specialist services for people with newly acquired and established spinal cord injuries.
Phone: 02 9926 7111
The Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney Spinal Cord Injury Unit
Phone: 02 9808 9269
South
Prince of Wales Hospital Spinal Cord Injury Unit
Prince of Wales Hospital offers a full range of specialist services for people with newly acquired and established spinal cord injuries. Clinical nurse consultancy support is available to community nurses providing services to people with a spinal cord injury or other disabilities.
- General enquiries and referrals – Phone: 02 9382 2222
- Spinal plastics care clinic – Phone: 02 9382 8338
- Spinal outpatients – Phone: 02 9382 4723
- Seating services – Phone: 02 9382 5206
Seating services
Eligibility and exclusion criteria, reasons for referral, and contact details for these services.
Phone: 02 9887 5055
Outreach
A multidisciplinary transitional outreach program for patients discharged from the spinal cord injury units. This service offers education and professional advice for clinicians providing services to people with a spinal cord injury, including rural clinicians.
Phone: 02 9808 9666
Rural Spinal Cord Injury Service (RSCIS)
The Rural Spinal Cord Injury Services operates nine specialist multidisciplinary spinal clinics per year across rural NSW.
Phone: 02 9808 9666
Email: rscis@royalrehab.com.au
Hunter Spinal Cord Injury Service
A comprehensive multidisciplinary community-based spinal cord injury rehabilitation service for individuals with spinal cord injury. Also provides an education service for carers and health professionals within the Hunter and lower mid north coast regions.
Phone: 02 4925 7888
Email: HNELHD-SCIS@health.nsw.gov.au
Royal Newcastle Centre
Provides inpatient rehabilitation for individuals with low or incomplete spinal cord injuries. Patients can also be admitted for conservative or non-surgical management of pressure sores, or be transferred from Sydney for the final stages of inpatient rehabilitation prior to discharge home in the Hunter or lower mid north coast regions.
Phone: 02 4922 3786 or 02 4921 4898
Port Kembla Hospital Rehabilitation Service
The Illawarra spinal cord injury service is based at Port Kembla Hospital and offers a comprehensive service, including specialist community clinical nurse consultancy.
- General enquiries and referrals – Phone: 02 4223 8203
- Clinical nurse consultant – Phone: 02 4223 8216
For paediatric services, referrals should be made to the most convenient service (not necessarily based on the patient's residential address).
New referrals are accepted up to the age of 16 years.
The Sydney Children’s Hospital spinal clinic offers a multidisciplinary statewide service for children and adolescents with spinal cord injury and disease.
- General enquiries and referrals – Phone: 02 9382 1685
- Clinical nurse consultant – Phone: 02 9382 0681
The Children's Hospital at Westmead
For children treated at The Children's Hospital with an established injury, transition to an adult spinal service is considered from approx 16 years of age, with full handover by 18 years of age.
- Staff specialist, rehabilitation – Phone: 02 7825 0833
- Clinical nurse consultant, rehabilitation – Phone: 02 9845 2815
Provides clinical services and home and living support.
Phone: 02 8741 5600
Spinal Cord Injuries Australia
Member-based peak body for people with spinal cord injuries, providing advocacy and support services
Phone: 1800 819 775
Northcott NSW Paediatric Spinal Outreach Service
Provides nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and social work support to children and young people.
Phone: 02 9890 0100