Please shower, wear comfortable clothing and no jewellery other than your wedding ring.

So that we can safely care for you during your anaesthetic or sedation please do not wear any make-up or nail polish.

Contact your doctor if you experience any change in condition prior to the day of your operation (cold, fever etc). Arrange for someone to transport you home – you will not be discharged without support.

The afternoon before your admission you will receive a call or SMS message with your admission time and fasting instructions. In some cases your specialist may have already provided you with these details. It is very important that you strictly adhere to your fasting times as detailed by your doctor or the hospital. Fasting also means no smoking.

Take your normal morning medication with a sip of water prior to your admission. If you are diabetic and you take medication for this, including insulin, we ask that you phone the Same Day Unit on 4944 3725 for further instructions the afternoon before your admission.

• Any mobility aides that you use
• Current X-Rays
• Current medications in their original labelled bottles or packets dispensed from your chemist, including inhalers (puffers).

Lockers are provided for your belongings, however we cannot accept liability for loss or damage.

Please arrive on time so we can properly prepare you for your operation.

You will first be directed to the Same Day Unit before being taken to the Operating Theatre.

You will be admitted by the nursing staff and prepared for your procedure.

We will aim to give you and your family an estimate of what time you will be discharged from the hospital.

We ask if you do require a medical/carers certificate please advise nursing staff on admission.

While we aim to keep your waiting time to a minimum, the nature of surgery sometimes means your theatre time may be delayed due to the unexpected/extended needs of other patients seeing your Doctor.

We will keep you informed of this on the day and ask for your patience and co-operation in the matter.

If you need any assistance during this time or you are concerned about the delay please speak to the nursing staff and they will be more than happy to assist you.

To provide support and comfort for your child we encourage you to be with them before theatre and in recovery.

If you are bringing any siblings please arrange a carer to stay with them so you are available to be with your child throughout the day.

Please keep in mind that only one family member may be with their child whilst in recovery.

When you are ready for discharge the nursing staff will notify your family/carer when you are ready to go home.

You will be given written information with your post operative instructions. Please be aware following your anaesthetic you will be required to have someone stay with you overnight and for the following 24 hours you will not be able to drive. We also advise you to rest for the following 24 hours after your procedure.

For up to 24 hours a small amount of anaesthetic may still be circulating in your body. This may impair your reflexes, co-ordination and mental processes.

We will contact you the day after your surgery to check on your progress.

Please shower before coming into hospital, wear comfortable clothing and no jewellery other than your wedding ring.

If your wedding ring is on the operative arm it will need to be removed.

All body piercings will need to be removed before surgery.

So that we can safely care for you during and after your anaesthetic, please do not wear make-up or nail polish.

It is very important that you strictly adhere to your fasting times as detailed by your doctor or the hospital.

Fasting also means no smoking.

If your child is having surgery, please ensure they observe the fasting time.

Unless otherwise instructed by your surgeon or the hospital, take your normal morning medication with a sip of water prior to your admission.

If you are diabetic we will advise you about your diabetic medication the afternoon before surgery.

If you take blood thinning medication, i.e. Aspirin, Warfarin, or Fish Oil, please seek instruction from your surgeon or the hospital.

You will be directed to the Surgical Unit before being taken to the Operating Theatre.

The surgical unit staff will organize your admission, orientate you to the room and ward, explain the pre-operative and post-operative care you will receive, as well as answer any questions or allay any fears you may have before being transferred to the Operating Theatre.

Please note that theatre times given are only an estimate, and delays occur.

Staff will make every attempt to keep you informed about delays in your estimated theatre time.

Please be mindful if the ward is busy, you may be admitted into an alternate location and directed to await surgery in a waiting room.

Your room will be ready on return from theatre.

• Personal toiletry articles, including soap
• Sleepwear, dressing gown and slippers
• Any mobility aides that you use
• Current X-Rays
• Current medications in their original labeled bottles or packets dispensed from your chemist, including inhalers (puffers).

Valuables – please do not bring valuables into hospital with you.

While every effort is made to keep your belongings safe, no responsibility can be taken by the hospital for the loss of any valuables.

Children are welcome in our hospital as patients and every effort is made to reduce their fears and make their stay as happy as possible. Children who are admitted to hospital may bring their favourite toy or books.

Children are most welcome to visit the hospital with a parent/carer, prior to admission, to meet the staff, tour the hospital and allay their anxieties.

Parents/carers are encouraged to accompany their children to the reception areas of the operating suites and are kept informed of their child’s progress as much as we can during this time. Parents are also invited to come into the recovery room to allay their child’s fears when waking up from anaesthetic.

After your operation you will spend time in the Recovery Ward before being transferred back to the Surgical Unit.

Nursing staff will either attend to or assist with your care back in the Surgical Unit. A range of observations will be attended to as we monitor your recovery.

Patients are always reminded that if you are in pain or feel sick, please inform the nursing staff so they can take the appropriate action to make you more comfortable.

Nursing staff will discuss your recovery with both the doctor and yourself to ensure that you are aware of the post-operative recovery expectations and your doctor is aware that you are recovering as you should be.

On the day of your discharge, determined by your doctor, the nursing staff will explain all your discharge instructions and follow up arrangements as per the doctor’s specifications.

Please ask your family or friends providing transport home to arrange for your collection from the hospital by 10am.

Nursing staff will make every effort to have you ready for discharge by 10am, although delays can be expected if awaiting doctors to attend rounds and review your recovery prior to discharge