Admission

Before starting the pre-admission process, please make sure you have this information ready: 

• personal and next-of-kin details
• Medicare card (if applicable)
• funding details (e.g. private health insurance, Department of Veterans' Affairs, WorkCover or self-funding)
• benefit details (e.g. pharmacy benefit card or pension card)
• item numbers provided by your doctor, if applicable
• details about implantable medical devices (e.g. prosthetics or disposables) if your doctor has supplied this information

We also recommend confirming your private health insurance coverage with your health fund to ensure a smooth process.

For detailed guidance on what to bring, including personal items, medications, and insurance details, visit your hospital's admission page. 

Use this checklist to help you prepare: 

• Doctor’s letters: Bring any letters from your doctor regarding your procedure.
• X-Rays, scans and medical reports: Include any relevant imaging or documentation.
• Medications: Bring all medications you are currently taking or provide a list with dosage and frequency (your general practitioner can help prepare this).
• Medicare and entitlement cards: Ensure you have your Medicare card, pension card or any other entitlement cards.
• Health fund or Veterans' Affairs details: Bring your private health insurance information or Veterans’ Affairs Entitlement Card.
• Clothing for day surgery: Wear loose, comfortable clothing suitable for your procedure.
• Personal items for overnight stays: Pack essentials like nightwear, a dressing gown, slippers and toiletries.
• For a child: Bring a favourite toy, formula, bottle and any special dietary needs (if applicable).
• Credit card or cash to cover your hospital excess, co-payment or out of pocket expenses.
• Certified copy of Advanced Health Directive or Enduring Power of Attorney (if required).

We will inform you of your surgery time and provide instructions on when to begin fasting (nil by mouth), meaning no food or drinks before your procedure.

Important: Please avoid bringing valuables such as jewellery or large sums of money to the hospital. 

When you arrive, our reception staff will confirm your details. You’ll then wait in the reception area until a nurse calls you for clinical admission.

Please note: patients are admitted in the order of their doctor’s operating list.

A nurse will talk with you about your medical history, check for allergies, take your blood pressure and pulse, and confirm your consent form. Your anaesthetist may also see you at this stage.

You’ll then wait until a nurse takes you through to get ready for your procedure. For your safety, our team will check your details several times during your stay.

Before your operation, you’ll wait in a designated area where our team will help you get ready. This may include:

• shaving the surgical site
• giving you medication
• doing an electrocardiogram (ECG) or blood test
• cleaning the skin around the surgical area

After this, you’ll move to the pre-operative area to change into a hospital gown and rest on a bed until a porter takes you into the operating theatre.

When it’s time for your surgery, you’ll be taken on a trolley bed into the theatre and anaesthetic bay. For your safety, staff will confirm your name and the procedure you’re having. They will also check your paperwork, your ID band, whether pre-medication has been given (if required), and any allergies.

To help staff quickly identify allergies, you may be given a coloured cap to wear. Otherwise, you’ll receive a cap to keep your hair in place.

Please note that visitors are not able to stay in the theatre holding area.

After your procedure, you’ll wake up in the recovery area. Our recovery nurses will monitor you closely and make sure you’re comfortable and fully awake before moving you to the next stage of recovery, where you’ll be offered light refreshments.

If you’re staying overnight, our staff will then take you to your room with ensuite facilities for further care and rest.