Going to hospital

Admission checklist

Please bring:

• Any letter(s) from your doctor relating to your procedure.
• Any appropriate x-rays, scans and medical reports.
• All medications that you are currently taking (in their original packaging) and all prescriptions.
• Your Medicare card, pension cards and safety net cards.
• Your health fund details or Veterans’ Affairs Entitlement Card.
• Your credit card or other means of payment.
• If you are having surgery, please shower and wear loose, comfortable and appropriate clothing.
• If you are staying overnight, please bring personal items such as night attire, dressing gown, slippers, personal toiletries, reading materials and glasses.

Day procedures

If you are having a day procedure please note the following:

• You must arrange for a responsible person to transport you home following your day procedure.
• It is unsafe and you may not be covered legally or by insurance to drive for 24 hours after your anaesthetic.
• Public transport is not a safe or appropriate choice for your trip home after discharge from hospital.
• You must not sign any contracts or make important decisions for 24 hours following your procedure – these may not be legally binding.
• You must follow any post-procedural instructions given to you and contact your doctor or present to an emergency department should you have any post procedural complications.

Please do not bring valuables or large sums of money to the hospital. The hospital cannot take responsibility for personal belongings and valuables.

If you are being admitted to hospital but not having surgery, you will be admitted directly to your ward.

If you are being admitted for surgery, you will be taken to the surgical admissions lounge where a nurse will admit you, answer your questions and prepare you for surgery. You will then be transferred directly to the operating theatre.

Please be aware that only patients who require a carer (due to disability or other extenuating circumstances pre-approved by hospital administration) are permitted to have a support person accompany them to the surgical admissions lounge.   

Please limit your luggage to a small overnight bag.

For our paediatric patients, we allow one parent or carer to accompany the child into the theatre complex and to remain with them until they are asleep. If you have brought other children with you on the day it is important that there is another adult to care for them while you are in the theatre complex as we cannot provide this supervision.

Fasting

If you are having surgery you will need to “fast”. This means that you will not be able to have any food or fluids (including water) for a specified period of time.

You will be advised by your doctor if you are required to fast and how long you would need to fast.

You must not drink alcohol or smoke for 24 hours prior to your surgery. You must not drink alcohol for 24 hours after your anaesthetic.

Going home

Your doctor and staff at St Andrew’s will discuss any discharge requirements with you. Discharge is usually between 9am and 10am.

You should plan ahead for your discharge as much as possible. If you believe you will require assistance once you go home, do not hesitate to alert our nursing staff who will arrange for our Discharge Coordinator to assist you.