Crows Nest Day Hospital

Preparing for your hospital visit

• Before your surgery
  • Between 2pm and 4pm on the business day before your surgery: please phone Crows Nest Day Hospital to confirm your admission time and fasting instructions
  • Arrange for a responsible adult to accompany you home and stay with you for 24 hours after your surgery

  We cannot discharge you following an anaesthetic unless you have a designated carer. If this is not possible, your procedure may be cancelled.

  For 24 hours after an anaesthetic, you will not be able to:

  • Drive a vehicle
  • Drink alcohol
  • Operate machinery
  • Make important decisions
  • Sign legal documents

  Illness before surgery

  If you become unwell prior to your admission, or your health has deteriorated, please contact your doctor as soon as possible. Your surgery may need to be postponed until you are well again.

  Online admission Patient information booklet
• What to bring
  • Please bring your Medicare card, and where applicable, your Health Insurance membership card, Veterans’ Affairs card and/or your Pensioner Concession card
  •  Please also bring all current medications in their original packaging, together with a list of all medications you are currently taking
  • Any recent and relevant X-rays, scans and test results
  • Your advanced care plan and/or treatment-limiting orders (if applicable)
  • Your Power of Attorney documentation (if applicable)

  You’ll also need to make sure you wear loose comfortable clothing

• What not to bring
  • Please leave all valuables at home
  • You must not wear make-up, nail polish or jewellery
  • Please remove all piercings including earrings
• Children’s surgery

  It’s natural to feel anxious if your child is undergoing surgery, and we will do everything we can to make your family comfortable and relaxed. It’s a good idea to bring:

  • Your child’s pyjamas
  • Their favourite toy, story book or activity
  • A change of clothes and underwear

  We will invite one parent or carer into the recovery room to be with your child after surgery. Only you know who the right person is, so please consider this carefully.

• Fasting

  Before you undergo an anaesthetic, you will need to avoid eating or drinking anything for a specific period of time. During your pre-admission phone call, we will let you know when this fasting period should begin. This protects your airways during sedation.

  You can have a very small amount of clear fluids (such as water) until two hours before surgery, but do not chew gum, eat lollies or have any milk-based drinks.

  We will give you a snack and fluids when you are in the recovery room after your surgery.

• Medications

  Check with your doctor, anaesthetist or GP whether you should take your prescribed medications on the morning of your procedure. You can take them with a sip of water if fasting. If you take anticoagulant therapy, or medication for diabetes, your anaesthetist will contact you prior to your procedure to discuss your medication management.

• Smoking

  Please be advised that Crows Nest Day Hospital is a smoke free environment. Please do not smoke on the day of your procedure.

• Getting here and parking

  Two hour free parking is available in the Council car park on Hume Street. Metered parking is available outside the hospital.

• Admission

  When you arrive, please report to the reception desk where our staff will take you through the admission process. We will confirm your name, date of birth, admitting details and doctor. You will notice that these standard identification procedures will be repeated throughout the day to ensure your safety.

  As a specialist private hospital, we make every effort to ensure you will not be kept waiting before your procedure, but there are times when other patients require longer periods in theatre than we anticipate.

  We’ll let you and your carer know if there are any delays and how your expected discharge time might be affected. It’s a good idea to bring a book or something to keep you occupied just in case.

• Billing and private health insurance

  Crows Nest Day Hospital has arrangements with all private health insurance funds. If you have private health insurance, we will check your level of cover and inform you via email of any excess amount or additional charges you will need to pay.

  If you are having elective cosmetic surgery, your surgeon will advise you on all fees.

  It’s a good idea to contact your private health fund to check any exclusions or restrictions on specific treatments. They will be able to answer any questions, and may be able to upgrade your policy if needed.

  Before you are admitted, any outstanding amount not covered by your health fund (co-payment or excess) will need to be paid. We can take pre-payment by credit card over the phone during your pre-admission call if you prefer. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, EFTPOS, cash, and bank cheques.

  If you do not have private health insurance, you will be required to pay the full amount for your day surgery admission.

  Please note you will also receive a separate account from your surgeon and the anaesthetist involved in your treatment.

  For DVA (Department of Veterans Affairs) patients, Crows Nest Day Hospital will lodge a claim on your behalf.

  For Work Cover, TAC and Third Party patients, the total payment must be made on admission unless the appropriate approval has been confirmed in writing.

  Questions to ask your private health insurer

  Before you have surgery, we recommend you contact your private health insurer and check whether you are covered for surgery. We have provided a guide to the questions you should ask.

  Am I covered?
• After your surgery

  You must have a responsible adult to collect you from Crows Nest Day Hospital, and stay with you for 24 hours. We will let your carer know your approximate discharge time, and give them your discharge instructions.

  It is important you follow these instructions to ensure the best outcome from your procedure. Your anaesthetist will give you a prescription for any pain relief and/or antibiotics required after surgery. These may be required soon after being discharged, so please pick this medication up on your way home.

  One of our nurses will call you a few days after your surgery to check how you are recovering. You should also ensure you have a post-operative appointment with your surgeon.

  Preventing falls

  After your procedure and anaesthetic you may be at risk of falling or tripping. Remeber to take care when moving around and we encourage you to rest and let your carer assist you for the remainder of the day.

  Nausea

  This is less common with modern anaesthetics. If it does occur, it should only be temporary. If nausea persists, avoid food but maintain fluids. If it does not resolve within 24 hours, it is important that you contact your doctor.

  Sore throat

  This may occur due to your anaesthetist assisting with your breathing. It usually disappears within 24 hours. Simple pain relief may help relieve this.

  Tender arm or hand at injection site

  This may occur due to irritation of the vein or slight bruising from the needle or the drugs injected, and can persist for several days. If your arm or hand look red or inflamed consult your doctor and notify Crows Nest Day Hospital.

  Infection

  Please notify the Director of Nursing at Crows Nest Day Hospital should any redness, swelling, pain or discharge be noticed from your wound – or if you visit a doctor and are prescribed antibiotics for an associated infection within 30 days of your procedure.

  Hand hygiene

  We advise patients and carers to wash hands prior to attending wound care or administering eye drops (as per doctor’s instructions).

• Community support

  If you need an interpreter or other services, please contact these organisations.

  Interpreter services

  VITS Language – www.vits.com.au

  TIS National – www.tisnational.gov.au/interpreters

  ONCALL interpreters and translators – www.oncallinterpreters.com

  All Graduates – www.allgraduates.com.au

  Other services

  NPS Medicine Wise – https://www.nps.org.au/comsumers

  Home Instead – https://homeinstead.com.au/

  Prestige in-home care – http://www.prestigeinhomecare.com.au

• Privacy

  As a patient of Crows Nest Day Hospital your privacy and dignity will be maintained at all times. We hold medical records relating to your treatment, and the content of these records will only be divulged with your consent or where permitted or authorised by law.

  We will handle your personal information in accordance with the Nexus Privacy Policy which you can download here, together with some more information on the Australian Privacy Principles.

  Privacy Policy Australian Privacy Principles Fact Sheet
• Quality & Safety

  Crows Nest Day Hospital adheres to all statutory and relevant body guidelines and Australian Standards. Our management systems aim to provide the highest level of care to our patients in a safe and supportive environment.

  We work as a team under the management of the Board of Directors, Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) and Director of Nursing, with the following programs in place:

  Quality management – We continually monitor, assess and improve the quality of patient care. The MAC conducts peer-reviewed activities and we publish information about clinical performance, health outcomes and patient satisfaction.

  Risk management – We proactively work to mitigate risks to provide the safest possible environment for patients, visitors and staff.

  Workforce checks – Our dedicated specialist clinical staff have their credentials checked annually, and are assessed to ensure they can perform their roles so that you receive the highest standard of care and comfort.

  Clinical handover – If your care is transferred from one person to another, our systems ensure there is effective continuity. This includes your involvement in your discharge instructions as a patient or carer.

  Infection control – We aim to prevent and limit the spread of infection through evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.

  Hand Hygiene – Crows Nest Day Hospital is committed to the Hand Hygiene Australia program and conducts regular audits to ensure compliance. You can find more information on this program here.

  Consumer involvement – Patients are at the centre of our care model, and we welcome your participation in reviewing our Quality & Safety reports, and feedback on how we can continue to improve.

  Open Disclosure – The Crows Nest Day Hospital Governing Body (Board of Directors), Staff and Accredited Medical Practitioners (AMPs) support the practice and principles of Open Disclosure.

  Crows Nest Day Hospital has a clear and consistent approach to open communication and disclosure with consumers and their carers,  with a view to fairness, transparency and  accountability.

  Please click on the button below for more information on Open Disclosure.

  Nexus Quality and Safety Policy Open Disclosure fact sheet
• Complaints, concerns and feedback

  Please complete the Patient Satisfaction Survey, which your nurse will give you after your procedure, or can be accessed here.

  We appreciate your honest feedback, as we are always looking for ways to improve our patients’ experience.

  If there is any aspect of your care that you are not happy with, please contact the Director of Nursing. We will promptly acknowledge and investigate any complaint, and communicate the outcome and any recommendations with you.

  If your complaint is unresolved, you can contact:

  Health Care Complaints Commission

  Locked Mail Bag 18
  Strawberry Hills
  NSW 2012

  Phone: 02 9219 7444

  Feedback form