Tennyson Centre Day Hospital

Preparing for your hospital visit

• The Tennyson Way

  The Tennyson Way is the philosophy that underpins everything we do at Tennyson Centre Day Hospital. When we planned the hospital, we aimed to create a positive, patient-centred culture amongst staff and visiting doctors, and over the years this has become part of everything we do, every single day.

  The principles of The Tennyson Way are:

  • A ‘can do’ attitude
  • Being supportive, caring and respectful to everyone we encounter
  • Having fun while getting the job done
  • Focusing on strong patient service

  As a result, you’ll find our staff are friendly, welcoming, helpful and professional. You can expect a high standard of medical and nursing care, performed efficiently – and with your needs as the sole focus.

  Our commitment to safety Our commitment to care
• Before your surgery

  What you need to do:

  • Arrange for a responsible adult to accompany you to the hospital, drive you home and stay with you for 24 hours after your surgery. If you fail to make this arrangement, your procedure may be cancelled. If you are having difficulty finding someone to be with you on the day, please discuss your options with our staff or your doctor.
  • Commence fasting at the time advised by your referring doctor. When the fasting period begins, you must not eat or drink anything. You may take your regularly prescribed medications with a small sip of water (unless ordered otherwise).
  • Please contact your doctor prior to surgery if your health has deteriorated, as we may need to postpone the procedure until you’re feeling better

  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
• What to bring
  • Your Medicare card, and where applicable, your Health Insurance membership card, Veterans’ Affairs card or Pensioner Concession card
  • Any medications you are currently taking
  • Any recent and relevant X-rays, scans and test results
  • Power of Attorney documentation (if applicable)
  • Advanced Care Directive (if applicable)
  • A light dressing gown (optional)

  It’s also important to wear loose comfortable clothing.

• What not to bring
  • Please leave all valuables at home
  • Do not wear make-up, nail polish, perfume or jewellery
• Fasting

  You will need to avoid eating or drinking anything for a specific period of time prior to your procedure. It’s important not to eat or drink anything for a specified period of time before an anaesthetic for safety reasons, as this will protect your airway and lungs while you are asleep.

  Your doctor will let you know when your fasting period should begin, and you must follow it strictly for safety reasons. 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 after your surgery, when you are in the recovery room.

• Medications

  Ask your doctor whether you should take your usual prescribed medications on the morning of your procedure. You can take them with a sip of water if fasting.

• Smoking

  Tennyson Centre Day Hospital is a smoke-free environment. Do not smoke on the day of your procedure.

• Getting here and parking

  We are located on South Road, Kurralta Park, just north of the Gallipoli Underpass. There is ample free parking on site, and two hour parking in the surrounding side streets.

• Admission

  When you arrive on your day of surgery, please report to the reception desk where our staff will guide you through the admission process. A nurse will consult with you privately to check your blood pressure, go through your health questionnaire and confirm your name, date of birth and doctor. These standard identification procedures will be repeated throughout the day to ensure your safety.

  You’ll then be introduced to your anaesthetist, and may be asked to change into a hospital gown.

  Remember: you’ll need to pay any out of pocket expenses at the time of your admission.

• After your surgery

  You must have a responsible adult to collect you from Tennyson Centre Day Hospital, and stay with you overnight. We will let your carer know your approximate discharge time, and call them 30 minutes before it’s time for you to leave. We’ll also give them your detailed discharge instructions, which will include the date and time of your post-operative appointment with your surgeon where applicable.

  It is important you follow these instructions to ensure the best outcome from your procedure. Your doctor or anaesthetist may give you a prescription for any pain relief and/or antibiotics if required after surgery, and following ophthalmic surgery you will be given eye drop medication on discharge.

  One of our nurses will call you the next business day after your surgery to check how you are recovering. We recognise that you may have gone about your usual routine, and if we miss you, you are welcome to ring us if you have any questions and think you may have missed the call. If you are experiencing problems after your procedure, please contact your doctor.

  Preventing falls

  Coming into hospital increases the risk of falling or tripping as you are in an unfamiliar environment, may be nervous and may be given Anaesthetic drugs. . Take care when moving around and we encourage you to rest and let your carer assist you for the remainder of the day. If you use any walking aides please bring them into hospital with you.

  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 Tennyson Centre Day Hospital.

  Infection

  Please notify the Director of Nursing at Tennyson Centre 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).

• Billing and private health insurance

  If you have private health insurance, we will check your level of cover and inform you of any excess amount that will be payable on the day prior to admission.

  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. On the day, you can pay via credit card, EFTPOS or cash. Please note we do not accept American Express, Diners Club or personal cheques.

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

  If you do not have private health insurance, you will be required to pay the full amount for your day surgery admission. There is no rebate from Medicare for day surgery charges.

  You will also receive a separate account from the surgeon and anaesthetist for their services.

  Third party claims

  If you are a Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) patient, we will lodge a claim with the DVA for you. If your surgery is part of a WorkCover or Third Party claim, you will need to make the full payment (apart from ancillary charges) on admission – unless we have received written approval for admission from WorkCover or Third Party claimant.

  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?
• Privacy

  As a patient of Tennyson Centre 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 Australian Privacy Principles and legislation that governs how hospitals handle your personal and health information. For more information, read our Patient Information & Pre-Admission Booklet, and download tthe Australian Privacy Principles fact sheet.

  Privacy Policy Australian Privacy Principles fact sheet
• Quality & Safety

  As a part of our commitment to be a Safe Hospital Providing Quality Care, every staff member at Tennyson Centre Day Hospital makes safety a priority.  We consistently measure how we are achieving our robust quality and safety goals, and routinely audit our systems and processes. As a patient, you have the right to view this data at any time.

  Tennyson Centre 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.

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

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

  Tennyson Centre 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.

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

  We value your thoughts and suggestions. If you have any feedback about your experience at Tennyson Centre Day Hospital, please complete the online patient survey below.

  You can also email us at reception@tennysondh.com.au. If you would like to make a formal complaint, please give us a call on (08) 8292 2331.

  Feedback form