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Services & Clinics
About us News
Hospital map Parking Visitor information Transport Amenities Admission Hospital rooms Nearby accommodation Outpatient appointments Getting ready to leave Health checks Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Concerns for your care Disability support and services Interpreters and cultural support Social work department Spiritual care Volunteer support Freedom of information Overseas patients Patient privacy Paying your bill Preparing for surgery Private patients Rights and responsibilities

The Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (HMU) at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) is the state referral service for diving and hyperbaric medicine.

What we do

We have a hyperbaric oxygen treatment facility, with a state-of-the-art triple lock recompression chamber with capacity to treat up to 20 patients across two compartments. 

Key conditions treated:

  • dysbaric (bubble) Injury
  • acute ischaemic conditions
  • infective conditions
  • delayed radiation injury
  • problem non-healing wounds
  • toxic gas poisoning
  • idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

The HMU is available for on call, emergency treatments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Outpatient clinics are also run, offering Dive Medicals for recreational, commercial and occupational divers.

Where to find us

Level 2B, Royal Adelaide Hospital, adjacent to the underground car park. 

Routine Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment runs from Monday to Friday, 8:00 am until 4:00 pm. 

Who we are

The Hyperbaric Medicine Unit is a centre of excellence, serving as a treatment centre for South Australia, parts of the Northern Territory and Broken Hill region of NSW. 

Established in 1985, it is the second oldest diving and hyperbaric facility in Australia, with an international reputation in the field.

The HMU team is made up of specially-trained medical, nursing and technical staff who provide Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for critical care adult and paediatric patients.

Consultants

Dr Sam Koch - Head of Unit

You need a referral letter from your GP or medical practitioner to access this service. 

External, non-urgent referrals to the HMU can be generated by specialists, GPs and other healthcare providers. 

Once your referral has been received it will be triaged according to clinical urgency.

If your referral is accepted, you will either:

  • receive a letter, phone call or text message confirming your appointment time, date and location
  • receive a letter confirming you have been waitlisted for an appointment.

If the referral is declined, your GP or referring medical practitioner will be notified.

HMU is the only hyperbaric medicine unit in the state, referrals come from a variety of sources.

External, non-urgent referrals to the service are generated by specialists, GPs and other health providers by contacting the unit directly. 

Emergency cases should go directly to the emergency department via ambulance.

Divers Emergency Service (DES) hotline

The Divers Emergency Service (DES) hotline is a 24-hour diving emergency hotline run on a volunteer basis, located at the HMU. 

It is available to all divers throughout the world. In emergencies, the number enables you to speak directly with a hyperbaric doctor within minutes.

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