Blue Mountains Hospital recognised for best rehabilitation outcomes in NSW

It is the third time the service has received an AROC accolade, and while previous awards celebrated outstanding stroke rehabilitation, this year’s recognition spans all impairments—an achievement that places the 18-bed unit among the top-performing rehabilitation services across New South Wales.

AROC benchmarks data from hospitals nationally, comparing functional improvement, length of stay, discharge destination and complications. Blue Mountains Rehabilitation Service’s results confirm that patients not only achieve high levels of functional recovery, but do so efficiently and safely, even as the complexity of cases continues to grow.

Head of Department Dr Saba Asif says the award reflects the dedication and skill of the entire unit.

“It means a lot to us. It shows the commitment of our multidisciplinary team comprised of medical staff, nurses and allied health. Achieving high functional gains while maintaining an appropriate length of stay is not easy, especially with the complexity of patients we now see,” says Saba.

Saba explains that the team’s approach is grounded in timely rehabilitation, early assessment and close collaboration from the moment a referral is received. Each referred patient undergoes a detailed review to ensure rehabilitation is appropriate, and if there are no outstanding medical issues, the unit aims to accept them the same day.

“Earlier transfer to rehab leads to better outcomes and prevents unnecessary time in and deconditioning in acute wards,” explains Saba.

Within the first 72 hours, patients receive comprehensive assessment from physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, social work and nursing staff. Experienced clinicians play a key role in identifying progress and quickly recognising when a patient has plateaued, allowing the team to set realistic and achievable weekly goals.

Saba says this consistent review process is essential to maintaining high-quality care and ensuring no time is wasted and goals that no longer suit a patient’s recovery trajectory are timely reviewed, modified and in some cases deleted. This not only helps plan discharges but also helps family to make the difficult decisions with the help of multidisciplinary team.

For many patients in the Blue Mountains community, particularly older people or those living alone, discharge planning can be challenging. The unit’s experienced team and approach to work in collaboration not only amongst each other but also with community services and families from day one to identify barriers early, especially when community supports are required helps maintain length of stay while preventing hospital acquired complications.

“We can’t control the wait times for external services, but addressing these issues early prevents delays. Starting discharge planning on the first day is essential for us,” says Saba.

For Saba, the recognition is a proud moment that highlights the collective strength of the rehabilitation team.

“I’m very proud. This is absolutely a team achievement. Achieving the best outcomes across all impairments in NSW is amazing, and I hope we continue to maintain these standards year after year.”

Learn more or get in touch with our Blue Mountains rehabilitation services: Rehabilitation outpatient clinic Blue Mountains Hospital | NSW Government