Flowers for a patient at Monash Medical Centre, Clayton
A florist in Melbourne's south-east makes the bouquet and delivers it to Monash Medical Centre. Monash Health asks you to check with the ward first, because many areas do not permit flowers.
Monash Medical Centre is at 246 Clayton Road, Clayton VIC 3168, not in Dandenong as some listings have it. It is the flagship of Monash Health, Victoria's largest public health service, and opened in 1987 when the Queen Victoria Medical Centre, Prince Henry's Hospital and Moorabbin Hospital were brought together on one site. With around 640 beds, one of the busiest emergency departments in the state, MonashHeart, a large kidney transplant unit and Monash Children's Hospital on the same campus, it treats patients from across the south-east. A local florist arranges and delivers the bouquet for us.
Monash Health's own rule on flowers
Unusually, Monash Health says in plain words what many hospitals leave unsaid: many areas of its hospitals do not permit flowers by the bedside or on the ward for clinical reasons, and visitors are asked to check with the ward before buying. So ring the switchboard on 03 9594 6666, ask for the ward and put the question. Expect a no from intensive care, the transplant and haematology units and the neonatal and paediatric intensive care units, and a yes from most general medical, surgical and maternity rooms. There is a gift shop, Great Little Things, in the Level 2 foyer open 7am to 8pm every day, which is where staff may send a bouquet that cannot go onto a ward.
Visiting times at Clayton
Visiting hours are 8am to 8pm across Monash Health unless a ward says otherwise. Maternity has a quiet time from 2pm to 4pm when only the primary support person may visit, and mental health units take visitors by appointment between 9am and 9pm. Our florists deliver in daytime hours and leave the flowers with the ward clerk or at reception, so a morning order gives the best chance of the bouquet reaching the bed the same afternoon, although that is never promised for a hospital.
Details the florist needs
The patient's full name as admitted, the ward and bed number, and whether the patient is in Monash Medical Centre, Monash Children's Hospital or Jessie McPherson Private Hospital, which all share the Clayton site. A mobile number for a family member saves the day if the patient has moved wards or gone home. If discharge is near, send the bouquet to the house in Clayton, Oakleigh, Mulgrave or wherever they live.
Casey, Dandenong and the other Monash hospitals
Monash Health also runs Casey Hospital in Berwick, Dandenong Hospital and the Kingston Centre, and the same check-with-the-ward rule applies to all of them. If your patient is at one of those, give that hospital's name and address on the order rather than Clayton's, otherwise the flowers go to the wrong building.
What a hospital bouquet should look like
Small, unscented and self-contained. Gerberas, tulips, roses, chrysanthemums and alstroemeria in a box or a jar with water need nothing from the nurses. Leave out lilies, hyacinths and pot plants. Expect to pay from about AUD 75 for a bouquet plus the delivery fee shown at checkout. Same-day delivery is possible Monday to Saturday for orders before 2pm on weekdays or 10am on Saturdays, Melbourne time.
Did you know? Monash Medical Centre opened in 1987, merging the Queen Victoria Medical Centre, Prince Henry's Hospital and Moorabbin Hospital, and has about 640 beds.
Frequently asked questions about flowers to Monash Medical Centre
Does Monash Medical Centre allow flowers?
On some wards, not all. Monash Health states that many areas of its hospitals do not permit flowers by the bedside or on the ward, and asks visitors to check with the ward before buying. Call 03 9594 6666, ask for the ward, and order once you have a yes. General and maternity wards usually agree; intensive care and transplant units do not.
What should I write on the order for a patient in Clayton?
Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton VIC 3168, the patient's full name, the ward and bed number, and which building they are in: the main hospital, Monash Children's Hospital or Jessie McPherson Private. Add a relative's mobile so the florist can redirect the flowers if the patient has moved.
What suits a hospital room at Monash?
A compact arrangement without strong scent, in a box or container that holds its own water. Gerberas, tulips, roses and alstroemeria work well; avoid lilies, hyacinths and plants in soil. For maternity, keep it small and remember the 2pm to 4pm quiet time when only the support person may visit.