This guide has been designed to provide you with information that may assist you during your admission to hospital.
Our admissions staff will advise you of your admission time at least one working day prior to admission.
PRIOR TO ADMISISON
You are asked to complete the hospital admission forms provided by your doctor and return them to the hospital as soon as possible. The forms include:-
• Admission Form
• Patient Questionnaire Assessment for Surgery
• Consent for Procedure Form (Obtained from Doctor)
ADMISSION
Please present to Reception on the ground floor at the Marion Street entrance. Reception staff will finalise your admission papers before arranging for you to be escorted to the appropriate ward.
Please bring with you:
- X-rays
- Doctor's letter
- Current medication and prescriptions in original packets
- Physical aids (walking sticks, crutches, frane etc)
- Health fund card
- Medicare card
- Pharmaceuticals entitlement card (Safety net card)
- Pension or Healthcare card
- DVA card
- Workcoder or Thrid party claim details (if appicable)
- Sleepwear, slippers (overnight patients)
- Dressing gown (all patients).
- Personal toiletries
- Small change for newspaper
- Reading material
INFORMATION REGARDING EXPENSES
When we receive your admission form we are able to assess if you have any out of pocket expenses such as excess and co-payments. You will be contacted by the hospital in the week prior to your admission. Excess and co-payments are payable to the hospital on admission. Any additional charges will be payable on discharge.
Please note that all uninsured fees and co-payments are to be paid on admission. The hospital is able to take payments in the form of cash, EFTPOS, all credit cards except AMEX & DINERS
Privately Insured Patients
We recommend that you contact your health fund prior to your admission to ensure you are covered for your admission to Western Private Hospital.
Uninsured/Overseas Insured Patients
Please contact the hospital on (03) 9319 3162 prior to your admission to obtain an estimate of costs for your procedure. This amount will be payable on admission. Costs incurred over this estimate are payable on discharge.
TAC & Workcover Patients
Please ensure that your claim has been accepted by your insurer prior to your admission.
DVA ENTITLED MEMBERS
Western Private is an approved DVA Tier 1 facility and is a preferred provider of health services to Veterans and Entitled Persons. Prior approval is no longer required for Gold Card holders from the Department of Veterans Affairs before admitting these patients to our hospital. For all other Veterans card holders entitlements can be checked by calling the Veterans Affairs Network (VAN) on 1800555254.
The Department of Veteran Affairs does not fund for private rooms, however Veteran or Entitled Persons may elect to pay an additional fee per day for a private room based on availability.
The hospital has appointed a DVA liaison person to help entitled members or their families with any questions they may have. Please call 9318 3177 for referral to the DVA Liaison Officer.
Pharmacy
Out of pocket expenses maybe incurred for:
• Non PBS funded drugs
• Medications ordered upon discharge
• Medications not related to your admission
The pharmacist will issue you an account which is payable on discharge at Pharmacy loctaed on Level 1. Payment may be made using cash, cheque or EFT.
Safety Net Number
The Safety Net is a scheme whereby Australian citizens who require a large amount of PBS medicine, can get their medicine at a cheaper rate for the rest of the calendar year once they spend a specific amount of money on medicine for that year. Medication supplied whilst an inpatient can be included in this amount. Please inform us of your safety net number (where applicable) and your local pharmacy name and phone number in order for your hospital pharmacy total to be included.
Other Charges
Doctor/Dentist, Anaesthetist, Assisting Surgeon, Pathology, Radiology & Radiotherapy accounts are billed separately from the hospital. We suggest you discuss such financial arrangements with your doctor prior to admission.
Patient payment for medications ordered during hospitalisation that are not related to the admission diagnosis is required at time of discharge.
All inpatient allied health services related to your clinical management are included in the agreed fees.
USEFUL INFORMATION
CAFÉ
Located on the ground floor. Light refreshments, confectionery, newspapers and other reading material are available for purchase. A trolley containing newspapers, confectionery and other reading material for purchase is circulated to the ward on weekdays.
Hours of operation are: Monday - Friday - 8.00am - 4.30pm
DISCHARGE
Discharge planning commences prior to admission or as soon as a patient is admitted to the hospital. Planning for a patient’s return home or placement in another facility on completion of treatment in hospital will include:
• Discussion with patient and family or friend
• Discussion with specialist including follow up appointment
• Correspondence forwarded to the referring General Practitioner
• Liaison with appropriate allied health professionals
• Discussion with after care facilities and organisations
• Medication review by the hospital pharmacist
• Arrangement of transport services
On discharge, a written discharge report is given to the patient. This summary lists the patient’s diagnosis, treatment and follow up care if required. Discharge medications are provided for the patient. Follow-up appointments are made by the hospital staff unless requested otherwise. Specific post operative instructions are provided for the patient if requested by the specialist.
DISCHARGE TIME
Overnight Patients
Our discharge time is between 9 and 10am each day. Prior to discharge your follow-up care, medications and appointments will be organised. A Nursing Discharge Summary will be faxed to the General Practitioner of each overnight patient. Please advise your nurse if you do not wish for this to happen.
Day Surgery
Day Surgery patients must have a responsible adult stay with them for the remainder of the day and night following the procedure. You will not be discharged unless it is completely safe for you to leave the hospital on the same day. You may receive a follow up call from one of our nurses to check your progress and give you the option to ask questions or clarify information.
Driving - Patients must not drive for 24 hours following a procedure.
We suggest that it can be generally less stressful and more pleasant experience, if you can be taken and accompanied home by a relative or friend.
If you have any questions regarding your surgery please do not hesitate to contact nursing staff on (03) 9319 3186
THINGS TO REMEMBER
- You should not eat or drink (unless advised otherwise by your doctor). Please check with your doctor if you are unsure of what to do.
- If you are on any medications your doctor will advise you if they should be taken prior to your procedure.
- We are very happy for your relative/friend to stay with you prior to your procedure and for parents to stay with children.
There are comfortable sitting areas and a café is located on the ground floor.
- You may be asked to present early as your anaesthetist may wish to see you before your procedure. We suggest you bring something to read while you are waiting. We also encourage parents or guardians to bring an activity for your child whilst they wait. Every effort will be made to minimize your waiting time.
- If any preparatory treatments are required before your procedure, your nurse will explain these to you.
CHECK IN
Please check into the hospital at the reception desk on the ground floor, at the Marion Street entrance. The reception staff will finalise your admission papers before arranging for you to be taken to the ward or the appropriate day stay areas. Every effort will be made to provide your requested accommodation based on availability.
10 Tips for Safer Health Care
This summary has been produced by the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care, which has been set up by Commonwealth, State and Territory governments to improve the safety of health care in Australia.
These 10 Tips* can help you to become more active in your health care. More questions you might want to ask your health care professional are contained in the 10 Tips for Safer Health Care booklet. These 10 tips are printed in your admission guide booklet included in your admission pack.
1. Be actively involved in your own health care. Take part in every decision to help prevent things from going wrong and get the best possible care for your needs.
2. Speak up if you have any questions or concerns
• Ask questions
• Expect answers that you can understand
• Ask a family member, carer or interpreter to be there with you, if you want
3. Learn more about your condition or treatments
Collect as much reliable information as you can. Ask your health care professional:
• what should I look out for?
• please tell me more about my condition, tests and treatment.
• how will the tests or treatments help me and what is involved?
• what are the risks and what is likely to happen if I don’t have this treatment?
4. Keep a list of all the medicines you are taking
Include:
• prescriptions, over-the-counter and complementary medicines (eg vitamins and herbs); and
• information about drug allergies you may have.
5. Make sure you understand the medicines you are taking
Read the label, including the warnings. Make sure it is what your doctor ordered for you.
Ask about:
• directions for use;
• possible side effects or interactions; and
• how long you’ll need to take it for.
6. Get the results of any test or procedure
Call your doctor to find out your results. Ask what they mean for your care.
7. Talk about your options if you need to go into hospital
Ask:
• how quickly does this need to happen?
• is there an option to have the surgery/procedure done as a day patient, or in an alternative hospital?
8. Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery or a procedure
Ask:
• what will the surgery or procedure involve and are there any risks?
• are there other possible treatments?
• how much will it cost?
Tell your health care professionals if you have allergies or if you have ever had a bad reaction to an anaesthetic or any other drug.
9. Make sure you, your doctor and your surgeon all agree on exactly what will be done
Confirm which operation will be performed and where, as close as possible to it happening.
10. Before you leave hospital, ask your health care professional to explain the treatment plan you will use at home
Make sure you understand your continuing treatment, medicines and follow-up care.
Visit your GP as soon as possible after you are discharged. |
