A way of life

Life St George’s Hospital is a member of Life Healthcare, one of the largest private hospital groups in South Africa, operating 64 acute care facilities across the country.

Life Healthcare is recognised throughout the health industry for its high calibre healthcare professionals and excellent facilities.

We believe delivery of world class healthcare is achieved through a combination of unparalleled quality and clinical excellence; along with a true focus on the personal needs of our patients and their families.

Every day we subscribe to the core values of the Life Healthcare group, while individually striving to continually improve facilities, standards and technology.

At Life St George’s Hospital our priority is to focus on the delivery of a special brand of health and care to patients. Within a world class hospital, this unique approach is what makes the difference and helps us to maintain our position as one of the top hospitals in the country.

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Our team

At Life St George’s Hospital we understand that we have a responsibility to meet the expectations of those who are entrusted to our care as well as the expectations of their loved ones.

This realisation enables us to ensure that we focus on an experience of care for everybody who visits or is admitted to one of our hospitals or healthcare facilities.

All Life St George’s Hospital staff participate in ongoing quality training ‘Q to the power of e’. Here we each come to appreciate the importance of quality in delivery of service and to embrace caring principles of empathy, ethics, excellence, energy and empowerment.

Results of on-going patient satisfaction surveys tell us that a stay at Life St George’s Hospital reflects the high standards of health and care we set out to deliver.

The care delivered at Life St George’s Hospital extends into the community.

Our employees at all levels actively participate in community initiatives to improve the quality of life in surrounding areas.

Our facilities

Our modern, sophisticated facilities include:

• 302 beds and 15 theatres
• A 15 bed general intensive care unit
• A 8 bed high care unit
• A 8 bed cardio thoracic intensive care unit
• A 11 bed coronary care unit
• A cardiac catheterisation laboratory
• A 30 bed maternity unit with well-appointed wards and secure facilities. This unit is ably supported by our on-site Little Life clinic
• A 14 bed neonatal intensive care unit complete with state of the art monitoring and life support equipment, providing the best possible environment for our smallest patients
• A 19 bed paediatric unit. This is a state of the art family-centred paediatric unit with isolated and semi-private rooms to ensure patients and their parents are taken care of during hospitalisation. The safety of your child is top priority; therefore we have access control on our entrance and exit doors.
• A women’s wellness and fertility centre
• An oncology unit with hemotherapy and a linear accelerator
• A stomaltherapy clinic
• A wound clinic
• A Pre-Admission Clinic situated on the 1st floor of the Medical Suites
• A Retail Pharmacy situated on the Trauma Unit side of the hospital and is open Monday – Friday 09:00 – 18:00
• A 24-hour trauma and emergency unit. This unit has a dedicated helicopter landing pad
• A radiology facility, with a comprehensive range of sophisticated diagnostic equipment including a MRI scanner and mammography

Medical and surgical disciplines

• Anaesthesiology
• Cardiology
• Cardiac surgery
• Cardio thoracic surgery
• Colorectal surgery
• Dentistry
• Endoscopic surgery
• ENT surgery
• Gastroenterology
• Gastroenterological surgery
• General Practice
• General surgery
• Gynaecology
• Internal medicine
• Laparoscopic surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Neuro-vascular surgery
• Nuclear medicine
• Obstetrics
• Oncology
• Ophthalmology
• Ophthalmic surgery
• Orthopaedic surgery
• Paediatrics
• Pathology
• Pulmonology
• Plastic and reconstructive surgery
• Radioisotope laboratory
• Radiology including mammography and MRI
• Urology including lithotripsy
• Vascular surgery

Ancillary services:

• Antenatal and postnatal clinic
• Audiology
• Breastfeeding clinic
• Dietetics
• Lithotripsy
• Pharmacy
• Physiotherapy

Specialist facilities

Maternity
We at Life St George`s Hospital believe that only the best is good enough for mother and baby. That`s why we`ll walk that extra mile to smooth your transition into motherhood and make birth a memorable experience. Fathers are not forgotten and we encourage them to share in the birth process.

We trust that the information on this site will provide answers to questions you may have regarding your confinement and hospital stay.

Our modern maternity wing has private, semi-private and eight-bed postnatal wards where your baby may room-in with you. Premature and full-term babies who need specialised treatment are cared for in our state-of-the-art neonatal high care unit, or in neonatal intensive care unit.

Specialised Maternity Care Units

• Neonatal ICU
• Maternity Department

Maternity Unit
Before you are admitted:

• Book your hospital bed when you are 26 – 28 weeks pregnant.
• You are encouraged to visit the Life Pre-Admission Centre four to six weeks before your due date in order to complete the necessary hospitalisation documentation.
• Get an authorisation number from your Medical Aid when you are 32 weeks pregnant.

• You are welcome to provide your own CDs. We provide CD players in our Labour Ward rooms.
• A t-shirt or any clothing you feel comfortable in is welcome in the labour ward.
• Pain relief options are available.
• Skin to skin
• Birthing balls are provided
• A birthing bath is available in the unit. If can be used for pain relief. If you would like to have a water birth you need to discuss it with your obstetrician
• A Doula is welcome in the labour ward.

General Information

• Visiting hours
  Partner and own siblings are allowed throughout the day, except between 12h00 and 15h00

  12h00 – 15h00: rest period for mom and baby
  15h00 - 16h30
  19h00 - 20h00

  3 visitors per patient, no children under 16 years (unless own children)

  We are willing to accommodate special visiting requests, within reason.

• Identification of your baby: An identification protocol must be signed on admission and will be re-emphasised by staff in the ward.
• Circumcision: Performed on request (by a specified doctor)
  Please note that Medical Aids do not cover circumcision costs.
• Baby Registration: It is a legal requirement to register your baby with the Department of Home Affairs and your Medical Aid. Proof of Birth will be issued and signed for. A company offering a baby registration service is also available in the ward
• Clinic Card: You will be issued with a "Road to Health" card on discharge. Please keep this card in a safe place as we cannot issue duplicates or additional cards
• Feeding - Breast or Bottle? The decision is entirely up to you as the baby`s mother. The ultimate aim is to have a happy mother and a happy baby. We are here to help you to make an informed choice.
• Well-baby Nursery; A well-baby nursery is available at all times. Please note that at no time may your baby be left unattended.
• At Life St George’s Hospital we practice a rooming in policy, whereby the baby spends most of, if not all of their time with you in the ward.

Maternity Support Services

• Breastfeeding support
• Postnatal depression support
• Pre-delivery chats and tour of the units
• Open days
• Immunization clinic on premises and information available
• Child Birth Education classes on premises as well as a number of educators in town

Cardiac
At the Life St George’s Hospital Cardiac Centre we focus on all aspects of cardiology and cardio-thoracic surgery from prevention and diagnosis, to treatment and rehabilitation of cardiac patients.

Following the introduction of world-class facilities, our Cardiac Centre is helping many patients to improve the quality of their lives through the early diagnosis and treatment of a wide spectrum of cardiac conditions.

Our dedicated, multi-disciplinary team and state-of-the-art technology will ensure that we provide the best possible specialist cardiac service to the Port Elizabeth and surrounding areas.

All our cardiac facilities ensure that our patients, young and old, receive only the best quality nursing care and treatment.

Our cardiac facilities

• A 24 hour emergency unit, complete with helicopter landing pad, is dedicated to handling any form of cardiac, medical, surgical and trauma emergency
• We are fully supported by leading specialists and highly trained personnel within the hospital, which puts us in an excellent position to offer top class emergency cardiac treatment
• A core team of highly trained nursing staff is available around the clock to assist our cardiologists with emergency diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures
• A high-tech cardiac catheterization laboratory equipped with state of the art x-ray and monitoring facilities
• A 10 bed coronary cardiac unit (CCU) accommodating patients who have undergone cardiac procedures in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and other acute coronary syndromes and myocardial infarcts
• A dedicated cardio-thoracic theatre including state of the art equipment
• A 5 bed cardio-thoracic intensive care unit (CTICU) dedicated to promoting a speedy recovery for patients following major cardiac related surgery
• A cardiac rehab centre where our patients receive post surgery assessments and comprehensive programmes to assist them with their recovery

Other facilities complementing our cardiac facilities:

• Radiology unit including CT scanner
• Support services and facilities
• Health awareness programmes
• Dietetics
• Occupational therapy
• Patient and family counselling
• Pharmacy
• Physiotherapy
• Support Groups

At Life St George’s Hospital, the following are available:

• Angiograms
• Cardiac catheterisation procedures
• Coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
• Implantation of coronary stents
• Carotid and renal artery stents
• Coronary artery bypass surgery
• Implantation of artificial heart valves
• Implantation of pacemakers

Supporting doctors

The doctors listed below are private practitioners. Please enquire about their rates directly with the practice.

Patient and visitor information

If there is any further information that you or your family require regarding our hospital and our services, please feel free to contact us.

Accommodation

Accommodation at our hospital is extensive and includes:

• Suite - own bathroom, TV with remote control
• Private ward - own shower facilities
• Semi-private ward - two beds sharing shower
• General ward - eight beds sharing bathroom facilities

Telephones are available at a nominal rental and all calls at Telkom rates.

Meals are ordered from a menu. Special diets, e.g. diabetic, Halaal, vegetarian are provided.

Admission

The following items are required for admission:

• Current medical aid membership card
• Identity document - patient and main member of the medical aid
• Pre-authorisation number, if applicable
• X-rays, scans and sonar, if applicable
• Current Medication, in original packaging
• Personal clothing, toiletries and non-slip slippers or shoes

A parent or legal guardian must accompany all patients under 18 years.

We have a Pre Admissions Clinic on site to assist with all your requirements before being admitted into our hospital. They are centrally situated on the first floor of the Medical Suites.
Office hours: 07:30 - 16:30

Discharge

• Private patients should settle their accounts in full (i.e. the balance of the account if the final account exceeds the deposit) on discharge.
• Day patients undergoing surgery under anaesthetic should arrange for transport from hospital - it is not advisable to drive for 24 hours following anaesthetic.

Service monitoring

In striving to ensure that we provide quality care, we monitor our service to patients on an ongoing basis. On discharge patients are asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their stay in hospital. Participation is voluntary, but it does assist management in addressing any problems and improving our service to you.

We especially welcome any suggestions our patients may have. If you have any suggestions for us, please contact us on email address - yolandi.shaw@lifehealthcare.co.za

Tariffs

Life St George’s Hospital charges medical aid tariffs, i.e. contracted in fees. There is a special fee for private rooms and suites.

Private patients are requested to pay a deposit equal to a percentage of the average cost of the specific procedure prior to admission, and the balance on discharge. Accounts for medical aid patients are sent directly to the medical aid.

Visiting hours

General Wards

• No morning visitors are permitted in the mornings due to doctor rounds and nursing procedures
• 14h30 to 16h30
• 19h00 to 20h00
• We kindly request a maximum of three visitors at a time per bed
• Visiting outside of visiting hours at the discretion of the Unit Manager

• 15h00 to 16h00, 19h00 to 20h00 or at Unit Manager’s discretion.
• Only immediate family to visit their relatives while in ICU
• Maximum of 2 visitors per patient.
• Children under the age of 12 are not permitted in these units due to infection control.

Coronary Care Unit

• 15h00 to 16h00
• 19h00 to 20h00
• Children are not permitted due to infection control

Post Natal Unit

• Fathers and siblings are welcome in the morning.
• 12h00 to 15h00 are resting hours for patients.
• 15h00 to 16h30, 19h00 to 20h00 for all other visitors.
• No children other than siblings allowed

Paediatric Ward

• 15h00 to 16h00
• 19h00 to 20h00
• No other children allowed
• Parents and grandparents only

Please note that there is no visiting from 12h00 to 15h00 as this is a time when our patients rest.