Frequently Asked Questions

Pre Admission Assessment

You may have a pre admission assessment to make sure you are ready for your procedure. You may be assessed over the phone or you may need to attend an appointment at the hospital. During this assessment you will be advised if you will be treated in the Day Procedure Unit or need to stay for one or more nights in hospital.

How am I prepared for my surgery?

You will get a Pre-admission Health Questionnaire with your admission letter. This gives us important information so that we are able to provide safe and effective care to you. The Pre-admission Clinic staff will review your general health care needs based on information provided by you and your doctor. You may receive a phone call from the Pre-admission Clinic staff regarding your health and /or may need to come for an appointment at one of our Pre-admission clinics to discuss your health and medications.

Please make sure that you bring all of the medicines that you take including prescriptions, medicines bought at the pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop or a current list of medications to your appointment.

The Pre-admission staff are available to answer your questions about your surgery and will organise all your care needs leading up to your surgery to ensure that you have the best possible health outcomes.

Day Procedure Unit (DPU)

Patients admitted to the Day Procedure Unit for minor surgical procedures, Endoscopy, or medical interventions will be able to go home on the same day. You may have a light anaesthetic as part of the procedure and if so, you will not be able to drive home, you will also need to have a responsible adult accompany you home and stay with you overnight. If you are unable to arrange this, your procedure may be cancelled.

 Overnight stays

 In some cases overnight care may be needed following the procedure. In these cases, the length of stay may vary from one night to several days. Staff will discuss your discharge day and time with you when you are admitted. It is important that you have arranged to be picked up by 10am on the day you go home.

To avoid cancellation, it is very important to confirm your booking date as soon as possible when you receive your admission letter. The decision to cancel a procedure is one that is not made lightly. As we are a large organisation with a large Emergency Department, our service capacities change constantly. This means that although a bed has been booked for you, the bed may no longer be available due to emergency demand. In this instance you will be notified at earliest possible time and a new procedure date will be sent to you as soon as possible.

If you are worried about your health it is important that you go back to your GP immediately or present to the nearest hospital Emergency Department.

It is important that you keep us up to date with your current health status. If at any time your health has gotten worse, you may need to be reviewed by our medical staff. If it has been over 12 months since your last appointment, you will need a new referral to our Outpatients Department, which you can obtain from your local General Practitioner (GP). This can be faxed to the Specialist Clinic (Outpatients) Department on (03) 8345 6856. The Specialist Clinic (Outpatients) will then contact you in writing with an appointment. Alternatively, if you have a current referral, please contact the Specialist Clinic (Outpatients) Department on (03) 8345 6490 to make an appointment.

You can elect to be admitted as either a public or private patient in a public hospital. By becoming a private patient you are able to choose a doctor who has rights to practice at Western Health. Western Health will also waive up to $500 any excess payment that you would normally be expected to make. Medicare and your health fund payments will be accepted as full payment.
 

If you would like more information on using your insurance please see Your Guide to Using Private Health Insurance in a Public Hospital or contact our Patient Advocates on (03) 8345 7151 or (03) 8345 0184.

Please bring all relevant information including:

• Medicare Card
• Private Health Insurance details
• DVA Card
• Pension / Concession card
• Safety Net card or Seniors Health card
• TAC claim details
• Workcover claim details

Other important personal Items that you need to bring include:

• All current medicines including herbal medicines
• Essential medical equipment , for example CPAP machine
• All relevant x-rays and scans
• Loose comfortable clothing and sleep wear for hospital
• Toiletries – including toothpaste, soap, deodorant, sanitary products etc
• Non-slip footwear
• Health aids (for example your walking frame, hearing aid)

Please take time to complete the "My Checklist" provided below before coming to hospital as it will ensure you bring all items needed for safe and efficient care during your stay.

My Checklist

Pre Surgery:

• I have confirmed my attendance at the Pre Admission Clinic appointment
• I have organised someone to take me to hospital
• I have organised for someone to pick me up from hospital when I can go home.  This must be before 10am
• I have arranged for someone to stay with me on the day that I go home from hospital. I have organised a neighbour / family member/ friend to look after my home and collect my mail
• I have packed all current medications
• I have packed all other important personal items needed during my stay in hospital

Day of Surgery

• I have medically prepared for my surgery as advised by the pre admission staff
• I have followed all fasting instructions and am fully fasted
• I have left all valuables safely with family / friends / home rather than bringing them into hospital
• I have packed loose comfortable clothing and sleep wear and non-slip footwear for hospital (maximum 10kg)
• I have packed adequate toiletries for my stay in hospital