Lismore Base Hospital (LBH) is a level five acute referral hospital of 260 beds, serving a population of approximately 170,000 people in the Far North Coast and Northern Rivers areas of NSW.

LBH is the recognised Regional Trauma Centre for the Far North Coast and is linked to the local helicopter retrieval service.

The hospital has recently undergone redevelopment. South Tower opened in 2016 with a modern emergency department, new medical, surgical, paediatric wards, women’s care and theatres complex. North Tower became operational from March 2020 with the inclusion of theatre extension,  perioperative service and endoscopy, new pharmacy, radiology, ICU, medical and surgical inpatient units.

LBH ED sees over 38,000 attendances annually with excellent regional case-mix and acuity, admission rate of over 40% and paediatric component in excess of 20%.

Our new department opened in 2016 and includes triage, 18 acute beds, streaming, eight sub-acute beds and four sub-acute chairs, three resuscitation areas, a procedures room, two mental health assessment rooms, ophthalmology and paediatric consult/ treatment room, 12-bed ED short stay unit, rooftop helipad and co-located radiology and CT scanning.

Supervision by FACEMs is available on the floor from 0800–2330, seven days a week. From 2330–0800, a FACEM is on call and within 20 minutes of the department. Our 21 FACEMs are committed, very supportive and encouraging to our trainees. Our DEMs are also available 5 days a week.

Our department has a strong passion for providing quality education and training with a clinical diversity for medical officers in rural locations. Weekly four-hour paid education sessions are facilitated by our DEMTs for ACEM trainees. Sessions are curriculum focused and include clinical skills, simulation, case and/or journal reviews, detailed topics and guest presenters. We have targeted sessions each month for paediatrics, trauma and toxicology.

Our DEMTs also facilitate a monthly intense simulation session at the University Centre for Rural Health Simulation Centre with a different guest specialty each session. There are two ACEM examiners on staff and we have an excellent examination success record in both the Primary and Fellowship examinations.

Our FACEMs have specific interests in paediatrics, mental health, toxicology, trauma, retrieval, ultrasound, and simulation.

Accredited rotations available in Retrieval (SSP Pre-Hospital and Retrieval Medicine), Anaesthetics, Intensive Care, and Ultrasound (SSP).