A way of life

Life Groenkloof Hospital is a member of Life Healthcare, one of the largest private hospital groups in South Africa, operating 63 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.

Since 1957 the religious Sisters of the Order, doctors and staff have continued to serve the community with dedication, embracing the values of competence, compassion and spiritual support.

At Life Groenkloof 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 Groenkloof 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 Groenkloof Hospital staff participate in ongoing quality training `Quality of Life`. 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 ongoing patient satisfaction surveys tell us that a stay at Life Groenkloof Hospital reflects the high standards of health and care we set out to deliver. The care delivered at Life Groenkloof 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:

• 214 beds and 9 theatres
• The special orthopaedics’ centre provides orthopaedic care and surgery in conjunction with physiotherapy, with a special emphasis on sports injuries
• At the Mary Potter Oncology Clinic a dedicated team of oncologists perform stem cell transplants, chemo and radiotherapy
• An accident and emergency unit open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and including resuscitation facilities. The unit is manned by qualified medical staff backed by specialists from all disciplines
• An 11 bed general intensive care unit
• An 8 bed high care unit
• A stroke unit
• Our radiology unit offers:
  • Nuclear medicine
  • CT and RT scanning
  • Mammography testing
  • Bone densitometry testing
  • PET scanner
  • MRI and x-rays

Medical and surgical disciplines

• Dermatology
• ENT surgery
• Endocrinology
• General surgery
• Gynaecology
• Internal medicine/ Physicians
• Neurology
• Neuro and spinal surgery
• Oncology
• Orthopaedic surgery
• Pathology
• Plastic and reconstructive surgery
• Paediatric endocrinology
• Paediatric oncology
• Paediatric pulmonology
• Paediatric Infectious diseases specialist
• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Nuclear medicine
• Radiology (including CT scanner, PET scanner, bone densitometry, mammography, MRI and x-rays)
• Radiotherapy
• Radiosurgery
• Rheumatology
• Urology

Ancillary services:

• Audio and speech therapy
• Dietetics
• Lung function laboratorium
• Orthotics and prosthesis services
• Physiotherapy
• Retail pharmacy

Specialist facilities

Breast Care Centre

The breast care centre offers a full array of collaborative information services, including coordination to the various departments for screenings and diagnosis to innovative treatment. The breast care centre focuses on a patient-centred care approach and works closely with the hospitals multi-disciplinary team. The specialised nursing practitioner will ensure support and counselling to patients and their family throughout the diagnoses and treatment of breast cancer. The specialised nursing practitioners support service is free of charge and is based at Life Groenkloof Hospital.

The Breast Care Centre can be contacted toll free on 0861 227 300 or via email at mailto:alida.brink@lifehealthcare.co.za

Emergency facilities
Our emergency unit is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and includes resuscitation facilities. Qualified medical staff backed by specialists from all disciplines mans the unit.

Radiology
Our radiology unit offers: nuclear medicine, CT and RT scanning, mammography and bone densitronomy testing in addition to other normal services. At the Mary Potter Oncology Clinic a dedicated team of oncologists do stem cell transplants, chemo- and radiotherapy.

Orthopaedics
The special orthopaedics centre provides orthopaedic care and surgery in conjunction with physiotherapy and bio kinetics, with a special interest in sports injuries.

Stroke clinic
The new all-inclusive specialist stroke unit at Life Groenkloof Hospital will offer expert care for stroke patients from the emergency stage all the way through to comprehensive functional rehabilitation.

There are specialist neurologists in stroke care at the hospital, who will manage the initial admission and acute care until the patient has stabilised. This will be followed by admission to the neurology unit, staffed by a comprehensive interdisciplinary team, for intensive rehabilitation of physical, functional, cognitive, and emotional problems arising from the stroke. Family education and detailed report backs to all involved will form part of the service.

Following discharge from the unit, outpatient therapy will be continued by referring therapists as well as therapists based at the hospital to ensure that stroke sufferers regain as much as possible quality of life and functionality after stroke.

Renal Dialysis
We provide acute and chronic renal dialysis from a state-of-the art renal dialysis unit. Treatment services offered include:

• chronic haemodialysis and haemodiafiltration;
• acute dialysis;
• continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)
• slow continuous therapies and
• plasma exchange

The renal dialysis unit can be contacted on 012 424 3864 during office hours or 062 280 4046 in emergencies.

Supporting doctors

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

The telephone details of the doctors have been listed below and the doctors have been categorised in accordance to their specialty. They are contactable Monday to Friday, betwe en 09:00 and 17:00.

The doctors consulting rooms are situated in the medical centre which is best accessed via the Totius Street entrance behind the hospital.

Patient and visitor information

At the Life Groenkloof Hospital, we take pride in providing you information that you need in order to make your stay with us a pleasant and hassle-free experience.

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

Admissions

By following a few simple guidelines the admission process can be speeded up and become less complicated.

• To ensure a speedy admission, please visit our pre-admission facility prior to admission date.
• Please adhere to the admission time arranged by your doctor.
• Medical aid patients should obtain authorisation prior to admission.
• Persons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
• Patients should bring along any relevant medical items such as x-rays, letters from their doctor, current medication being taken etc.
• Patients will need to bring an overnight bag containing sleepwear, dressing gown, slippers and basic toiletries. Patients are kindly requested to leave jewellery, large sums of money, other valuables or firearms at home.
• Please bring home or chronic medication with in the original packaging and hand in at the unit you are admitted to. It is illegal for a hospital to administer medication not in original packaging. Chronic medication may not be issued from in hospital plan.
• Paediatric unit:
  • Visiting time for parents – can come anytime
  • Sleeping couch / lazy boy available for 1 parent to stay with child
  • No fee involved
  • Parents encouraged to eat at kiosk

Coffee shop

Wiesenhof Coffee Shop is situated on the ground floor and is open from 07h00 to 20h00 weekdays and 08h00 to 17h30 Saturday and Sundays.

Discharge

On leaving, do not forget to collect your medication and x-rays.

Day patients undergoing surgery under anaesthesia should arrange for transport from hospital - it is illegal to drive for 24 hours following anaesthesia.

On Arrival

Please report to the enquiries counter on the ground floor where the receptionist will welcome you and capture all necessary information. You will then be escorted to your ward/room. Wheelchairs and porters are available at reception.

Please remember to bring the following items:

• Authorisation number obtained prior to admission
• Identification document
• Medical aid membership card

Admissions into hospital may not take place if these documents are not with you. If a child is under the age of 13, a copy of the birth certificate is required.

Parking

Parking is provided in front of the hospital. You are kindly requested not to park in the areas reserved for ambulances, doctors, disabled persons and staff. While every effort is made to protect your vehicle by way of security, parking is at your own risk. A courtesy golf cart is available for transporting of patients.

Patient Meals

Good nutrition is an important part of hospital care and we trust you will enjoy your meals while you are here. Our menu has been carefully planned to ensure that the meals you eat during your hospital stay are both enjoyable and healthy.

Pharmacy

Life Groenkloof Pharmacy consists of three parts: Retail Pharmacy, Hospital Dispensary and Surgical Store and each section is run by a group of enthusiastic competent staff. The pharmacy has 7 pharmacists, 5 pharmacist’s assistants and 10 other supporting staff to meet the needs of our business. The pharmacy motto is “Fast, Efficient, Friendly” and we aim at always giving the best service possible to all our customers, be it a patient, nurse or doctor. The hospital pharmacy trading hours are as follows:

We invite you to visit our pharmacy with your queries and prescriptions and feel free to rate our service on the electronic questionnaire provided. Looking forward to serving you.

Full details of these fees can be obtained from the Hospital Pre-Admission Clinic (Tel: 012 424 3725).

Pre-Admission

A pre-admission should be carried out at least 48 hours prior to admission in order to be able to identify any possible health risks and to provide information regarding admission, thus speeding up the admission process. Pre-admission forms are available from your doctor’s rooms or the hospital’s reception department. After completion of the pre-admission form it can either be faxed to the hospital to (012) 346 7083 prior to hospitalisation or handed in personally at the pre-admission clinic. It is preferable for you to personally visit the pre-admission clinic. On receipt of the faxed pre-admission form, a telephonic assessment regarding health problems and needs will be carried out by the nursing personnel at the pre-admission clinic. When visiting the pre-admission in person, a clinical assessment will be done.

Service monitoring

In keeping with our goal to continue providing high quality customer care, we monitor our service on an ongoing basis. To further ensure the satisfaction of our clients a Customer Care Team is available around the clock. They render physical, social and psychological support to patients, whilst at the same time address complaints and/or problems that may arise.

Smoking

For obvious reasons smoking is not allowed in any part of the hospital.

Tariffs

Medical aid patients, please note that whilst every effort is made to obtain payment from your medical aid on your behalf, the responsibility of the payment for services rendered is yours. Any items not covered by your medical aid must be settled by yourself. i.e. ward requests, telephone calls, pharmacy scripts, levies, etc.

Private patients will be required to pay a deposit based on the estimated total of the hospital bill. The balance must be settled on discharge. Credit cards are accepted. (Mastercard and Visa). Should you wish to discuss any of this further, please contact our Credit Controller who will gladly assist you.

Services provided by GP’s, specialists, anaesthesiologists, radiologists, pathologists, physiotherapy, and other healthcare professionals are not included in the hospital bill and will be charged separately.

Valuables

We encourage you not to bring valuables (e.g. cell phones, jewellery and large amounts of money) to the hospital, but should you do so, we recommend that you make use of our security safe for those items you may wish to put away. Whilst every effort is made to protect patients` belongings, we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may occur. Should you wish to make use of our security safe, kindly ask the receptionist on admission or the unit manager or ward secretary. A receipt will be issued accordingly.

Visiting hours

We welcome visitors, as we know what a difference the support of close family and friends can make. In terms of this, and bearing in mind the rest that all patients require, we would prefer that visitors visit their loved ones only at certain designated times these are:

Wards:

No visiting hours in the morning

• 15:00 - 16:00
• 19:00 – 20:00

ICU:

• 16:00 – 16:45
• 19:15– 20:00

We wish you a pleasant stay and a speedy recovery.