Patient Service

At Specialist Care Australia/Launceston, Ulverstone and Campbell Town, the infusion services are a modern environment offering treatment and chemotherapy to a wide community of Tasmanians, the first of its own in Tasmania in 2016.
The experienced team consists of haematologists, oncologists, gastroenterologists, nurses, pharmacy, pathology and clerical staff as well as volunteers that are all ready to take your journey of improving wellbeing and outcome of your illness.  We are committed at Specialist Care Australia that the clients receive the highest quality and standard of care. The client is treated in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. There is always a welcome smile on arrival from our dedicated clerical staff, you are then transferred through to your doctor of choice. The experienced nurses will administer your treatment in our comfortable reclining chairs in a calming atmosphere which includes soothing music and complimentary tea and coffee.   
 Specialist Care Australia/Launceston, Ulverstone and Campbell Town understand cancer can be confronting for patients and families, therefore   our dedicated staff are on hand to make your journey as supportive and pleasant as possible through education, involving patients and their families in their care and the staff expertise. We will provide our patients with printed documentation and resources, and we implore you to ask questions at all times, our aim is to empower our patients and families throughout their journey.
For your first visit/treatment, make sure you arrive a little ahead of your allocated time to allow personal details to be entered into our computer. Please bring along all usual medications, make sure you have comfortable clothing and a responsible family member or friend to drive you home as you may have received some medications that may make you feel drowsy.

Rights and Responsibilities

At Specialist Care Australia, we strive to provide excellence, respectful and caring services which facilitate healing and encourage everyone to develop to their fullest potential. In providing these services we always seek to demonstrate our belief in the intrinsic worth of persons by respecting differences, cherishing individuality and nourishing dignity. 
Specialist Care Australia commits to the rights listed in the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights. These are: access, safety, respect, communication, participation, privacy and comment.
Understanding your rights and responsibilities as a patient of Specialist Care Australia is primary to our cause.
As a patient of Specialist Care Australia, you have a right to:
• Be treated in a professional, courteous and caring manner that respects and appreciates differences to race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, personal values, age and disability.
• To expect that your personal privacy will be respected and confidentiality protected to the greatest extent permitted by law.
• Be provided with a safe environment while in our care
• Prompt and efficient service
• Have the complete attention of your healthcare professional
• Receive accurate and relevant information in a timely manner
• Request transfer to another healthcare worker
• Make a complaint about the service received from Specialist Care Australia and expect that the complaint will be dealt with appropriately, confidentially and in a timely manner
• Know the names and roles of the doctor who has primary responsibility for coordinating your care, and the identity and functions of others who are involved in providing care
• Participation in decisions affecting your health care

As a patient of Specialist Care Australia, you have a responsibility to:
• Be respectful of others, this includes staff, volunteers and other patients
• Be respectful of Specialist Care Australia property
• Maintain confidentiality regarding information you may have heard about other patient’s treatments and procedures
• Provide accurate information about yourself in order to receive the best evidence based care
• Follow the treatment plan recommended by the practitioner primarily responsible for your care. This may include following instructions of nurses as they carry out the coordinated plan of care and implement the responsible practitioner’s orders
• Ask questions if you do not understand information or instructions

Comments and Complaints

You may make a complaint either verbally or in writing if you have an issue about your care or the service provided at Specialist Care Australia/Launceston, Ulverstone and Campbell Town.

We encourage you to raise this immediately with a staff member. If after discussions with this staff member you are dissatisfied, you may ask to speak to the nurse in charge. If still dissatisfied, we ask that you put the issue in writing and address it to our Medical Advisory Committee.

Our Medical Advisory Committee will ensure that the issue is dealt with as discreetly as possible and will take reasonable steps to ensure that you are not adversely affected.

Patient Resources

Specialist Care Australia staff who administer cytotoxic drugs by routes other than oral administration   and who are required to handle cytotoxic drugs and/or associated waste must first be accredited as competent in safe-handling procedures.
We ensure all Registered Nurses working at Specialist Care Australia administering parenteral cytotoxic agents will be competent in the administration and management of cytotoxic drugs and their related waste. Competency is required annually. 
As best-evidence based practice, Specialist Care Australia use eviQ as a resource supplied by the Cancer Institute NSW, which has become the preferred provider of evidence-based cancer treatment information at the point of care. Its secondary purpose is to provide reference standards to support measurement and reporting of the delivery of cancer treatments in order to determine strategies to reduce variation and improve patient outcomes. 
For patient education and resources Specialist Care Australia use:
Cancer Council Tasmania
Cancer Institute of NSW

Patient FAQs

Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions