Post Acute Care Service (PACS)

The Post Acute Care Service, also known as PACS, provides short‑term support for adult patients who have had a change in their health needs after a recent illness, injury, or health procedure.

I received excellent care in the hospital, but you can only stay in hospital for so long, and it was recognised that I still needed a lot of support. I was weak and needed specialist help, and that’s when the nurses decided to refer me to PACS. I’m so pleased they did, because the service I received from PACS was absolutely outstanding.

We understand that heading home from hospital can feel difficult at first, and the PACS team will work with you to help you feel more confident and independent in managing your health care at home.

PACS is an optional service designed to support your return home from hospital. On your first phone call from PACS, a team member will talk to you about the services you’ve been referred for and which of those services you would like to receive.

I was so pleased that PACS could give me all the specialist services I needed in my home. That was really important to me. They provided a range of services: Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Dietitian support, and Hygiene Health.

It’s important that patients who receive support from PACS are linked with a GP to manage their medical care, as the PACS team does not include a doctor. Most of our services are provided from Monday to Friday. PACS will provide some weekend support, limited to patients assessed as needing urgent clinical care.

PACS staff provide flexible support options, which may include telephone calls, telehealth, or home visits depending on your care needs.

I’m recovering really well—fit, strong, healthy—and it was all worth it. The preparation was really worth it: the exercise and the tests. I’m better than my baseline because I’ve done a lot more exercise than I probably would have done without the support from PACS.

If you need more health and community support after your PACS care ends, we will talk to you about other options and provide information about other health and community services that may be able to assist you.

The PACS team is here to support you in your recovery at home and help you feel more confident managing your health at home.

I can say that PACS services are excellent. They are outstanding. They stand out for their expertise, their sense of urgency, their compassion, and their effectiveness. They really deliver results.