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Q. What time will I need to be picked up by my carer?
A. We can't give you an accurate discharge time however, a member of our nursing staff will call your nominated relative or friend approximately 30 minutes before you are ready to be discharged.
Q. How long will I be in hospital for?
A. This all depends on the type of anaesthesia given. Generally speaking you will be in the Day Surgery for about 3 to 4 hours.
Q. Can I drive myself home if I feel well enough?
A. If you have been given any anaesthetic drugs, including twilight sedation, you will not be allowed to drive for 24 hours after your procedure. The drugs given may impair your reflexes and your ability to make informed decisions. In the event of an accident under these circumstances you would be deemed to be driving under the influence of drugs.
Q. Will I be able to talk to my doctor on the day of my procedure?
A. Please advise our nursing staff if you wish to dicuss any aspect of your admission with the attending surgeon however, your doctor will not have time to provide a formal consultation during his list. If you feel a short conversation will not be appropriate for your needs, please contact your doctor's receptionist to discuss your situation.
Q. Can my spouse/friend sit with me until I go into theatre and be with me when I wake up?
A. Special circumstances will always be considered however, due to the lack of waiting space pre-operatively and confidentiality concerns for other patients post-operatively, we are unable to allow friends and relatives to proceed through to clinical areas.
Q. Do I need to have a special diet or anything different when I return home?
A. Discharge instructions vary depending on what procedure or operation you may have had, or the outcome thereof. The nursing staff will give you written instructions where necessary, but if you are in any doubt ASK your discharge nurse.
Q. What is the Privacy Statement about?
A. In accordance with the Privacy Act we are unable to collect and use your personal information without your permission. We will ask you to indicate whether or not you consent to your personal information being used for various purposes such as:
- The Hospital's Quality Improvement Activities - this helps us to evaluate and improve our services.
- Training and Education - for our staff and students on placement.
- Informing your next of kin of the outcome and your treatment if necessary.
- Your Health Fund requirements - e.g. to assess pre-existing conditions during a waiting period for new members.
- Permission to generate photographic, video or CD records - these may be obtained for future comparisons and may be de-personalised and used for teaching aids.
- Release of your medical record to other health care facilities in case of transfer to another hospital - this will insure continuity of care for you.
Q. When do I pay my Health Fund excess and who do I pay it to?
A. Your excess is payable to the Day Surgery on the day of your admission. We accept cash or cheques and we do have EFTPOS facilities for cheque, savings or credit cards.
Q. Can I claim anything back from Medicare?
A. Part of your Doctor's fee, your Anaesthetist's fee and any fee for pathology taken whilst your are in the Day Surgery may be claimed from Medicare. This may be taken care of by your Health Fund if your doctor participates in the No Gap arrangement. However, Medicare does not cover any of your Private Hosptial Fee, which is due to Townsville Day Surgery.
Q. How will I know if I have to pay any or all of the Private Hospital Fee?
A. Our friendly admin staff will contact you prior to your admission to advise you of your out of pocket expense for the Private Hospital Fee however, you may telephone us at any time for an estimate of fees.
Q. Can I claim my excess back from my Health Fund?
A. No. This is contracted fee that you have agreed to pay in order to reduce your Health Fund premiums. If you do not understand this part of your Health Fund membership, please contact your Health Fund for further advice.
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