Flowers for a patient at Lismore Base Hospital
A Lismore florist makes the bouquet and brings it to the hospital on Uralba Street. Ring the ward first, as the cancer institute and intensive care do not accept flowers.
Lismore Base Hospital is the main referral hospital for the Northern Rivers, at 60 Uralba Street, Lismore NSW 2480, on the hill above the town centre. It is run by the Northern NSW Local Health District and has been on the site since 1879, when the Lismore and Richmond River Hospital opened with eight beds. Today it has around 260 beds and serves some 180,000 people from Ballina, Byron Bay, Casino and Kyogle as well as Lismore itself. A florist in Lismore makes the bouquet and delivers it to the hospital for us.
What is on the campus
The hospital has general medical and surgical wards, a women's care unit for maternity, a paediatric unit, a renal unit, an intensive care and cardiac care unit, a cardiac catheter laboratory, an operating suite, an emergency department and mental health inpatient units. The North Coast Cancer Institute, which treats cancer and blood disorders for the whole region, is on the same campus. Knowing which of these your patient is in decides whether flowers can go to the bed at all.
Cancer institute and ICU: where flowers stop
The health district publishes no flower policy for Lismore, so the ward has the final say and a phone call settles it. As a general rule for Australian hospitals, flowers are not taken into intensive care or coronary care, and the cancer institute and haematology patients are usually asked to avoid cut flowers and plants because of infection risk. The general wards, the women's care unit and paediatrics normally allow a modest bouquet, often with a request for no strong scent and no glass. If the answer is no, the florist can deliver to the family home in Goonellabah, East Lismore or Alstonville instead.
Visiting hours in Lismore
General visiting hours are 8am to 8pm. Our florists deliver during the working day and hand the flowers to the ward or to the main reception off Uralba Street, where there is a drop-off lane; staff take them to the bed from there. A morning order gives the best chance of an afternoon delivery, though to a hospital same day is never promised.
How to address a bouquet
Lismore Base Hospital, 60 Uralba Street, Lismore NSW 2480, the patient's full name, the ward and bed number, plus a mobile number for a relative. Regional hospitals move patients between wards and discharge quickly, so the phone number is not optional. For a patient being transferred to the Gold Coast or Brisbane for specialist care, wait until they are settled and send there.
Flowers from a Lismore florist
The Northern Rivers grows a lot of what ends up in the bouquet: gerberas, roses, native proteas and waratahs, tropical foliage and orchids. Ask for a compact arrangement in a container with water, low on pollen and scent. Prices start at about AUD 75 for a hand-tied bouquet, and the delivery fee appears at checkout. Same-day delivery runs Monday to Saturday for orders placed before 2pm on a weekday or 10am on a Saturday, New South Wales time.
Did you know? Lismore Base Hospital dates from 1879, when it opened with eight beds; it now has about 260 beds and hosts the North Coast Cancer Institute.
Frequently asked questions about flowers to Lismore Base Hospital
Can I send flowers to Lismore Base Hospital?
Yes, to the general wards, the women's care unit and paediatrics in most cases. Intensive care and the North Coast Cancer Institute generally do not take flowers, which is standard practice in Australian hospitals rather than a Lismore-specific published rule. Ring the ward before ordering and give the patient's full name and ward.
When can flowers be delivered to a patient in Lismore?
General visiting hours are 8am to 8pm. Our florists deliver in daytime hours and leave the bouquet with the ward or reception. Order before 2pm on a weekday or 10am on a Saturday for a chance of same-day delivery, keeping in mind that hospital delivery times are never guaranteed.
What should the card say for someone in hospital?
Keep it short and personal: who it is from, a wish for a quick recovery and perhaps a line about what you will do together when they are home. Avoid jokes about the illness. If you do not know the person well, 'Thinking of you' and your name is enough.