Patient Information
Welcome and thank you for choosing Hervey Bay Surgical Hospital for your hospital care.
We understand that coming to hospital can be an unsettling experience so we hope that your stay with us will be as comfortable and pleasant as possible. We have provided information to help alleviate some of your fears or questions you may have, please see below or read the Patient Information Guide.
Patient Information
Hospital Admission forms
Patient Accounts
Fasting Instructions
Day of Admission
Advance Health Directive
Discharge from Hospital
Ward Visiting Hours
Accommodation
Smoking
Meals
Consumer Focus Group
Compliments & Complaints
Open Disclosure
Patient HealthCare Rights
Coronavirus Management Plan
In order to contain the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and to keep our patients and staff safe, Hervey Bay Surgical Hospital has implemented processors to achieve this. We also follow Queensland Government COVID-19 guidelines and directives which can be found on their website https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19
Patient Screening - All patients will be contacted by hospital staff the day prior to admission for surgery or clinic appointment. You will be asked a set questions in relation to COVID-19, to ensure that you meet the criteria for entry.
If you have any symptoms - of an acute respiratory infection you should avoid entering a high-risk setting until:
- at least 7 days have passed since you received a positive COVID-19 test result and
- you no longer have any symptoms.
If you are a Close contact - We request that you perform a COVID Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on the morning of your admission to hospital, and advise us of the result, if necessary another RAT will be completed at the hospital on arrival.
We request that you wear a mask on entry and in areas of where you cannot distance yourself. Your mask will be removed prior to your procedure.
Hospital Admission forms
You will have been given some hospital paperwork and a Patient Information Guide by your admitting doctors practice staff when you book your procedure with them. It is important that these forms are completed and retuned to the hospital, via mail or dropped off in person before the day of your admission. So please complete and return these forms as soon as possible. If you have lost or misplaced these forms they can be printed from the attachments at the bottom of this page.
Patient Accounts
All patients will receive an ‘Informed Financial Consent’ form or a call from us, informing you of the cost you will be out of pocket for. This cost may change if your doctor alters the procedure or uses more / less prosthesis than indicated or if your accommodation status changes from day stay to in-patient stay or vice versa.
You may be required to pay additional fees directly to the provider for their services / products, these may include X-ray, pathology and pharmacy.
Your Doctor fees including the Anaesthetist are not included in the hospital fees, these are separate and should be discussed with you by your doctors prior to admission.
Payment can be made by cash, credit card (except Diners & American Express), EFTPOS (please check your daily withdrawal limits, as full payment is required) or direct transfer (contact hosital for details)
Private patients - It is important that you verify with your health fund your level of cover before your admission to ensure that you are covered for the procedure you are having. Some patients may have out of pocket expenses such as an Excess, Co-payment or only have partial cover, all out of pocket expenses must be paid prior to or on the day of your admission.
Self-funded patients – you will be responsible for 100% of your fees and charges, which are payable prior to or on the day of your admission.
Fasting Instructions
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 before your surgery. You will be advised by your either or Doctor, Anaesthetist or hospital staff how long you will need to fast for.
Day of Admission
Medications - Take your essential medication with minimal water, unless otherwise instructed by your Doctor (i.e. Diabetic medication). If you are staying overnight, please being your routine medications in their original packaging.
Blood tests – Your doctor / Anaesthetist may require you to have a blood test before your admission, please ensure that you have attended to this, as your procedure may be cancelled if no results are available.
X-Rays and Scans - You will also be required to bring your X-rays and scans which you have had relevant to the procedure you have been booked in for. If you don’t have these available for the surgeon, then your procedure will be cancelled.
Do not wear - deodorant, nail polish, talcum powder, moisturizing lotion, perfumes, make-up or jewellery. Do not smoke or chew gum on the day of admission.
Please bring your Medicare, DVA, Pension, Health Insurance, Healthcare and Safety Net card/s so we can verify your expiry dates for these services.
Advance Health Directive
Advance care planning is a process of discussing and documenting your future health care choices. An Advance Health Directive is a legal document that enables you to give instructions about your health care, including when you are no longer able to. In effect, an Advance Health Directive becomes your decision-maker, giving instructions at the time the decision is required. If you have an Advance Health Directive and wish us to follow your directions, then you must supply a certified copy on admission.
Discharge from Hospital
Your Doctor and our nursing staff will discuss any discharge instructions and requirements to you before you leave.
Day Surgery patients – You MUST have a responsible adult carer to drive you home and care for you immediately following your discharge and overnight for safety reasons as you will have either had a sedation or general anaesthetic with your procedure and this could have lingering affects when you have been discharged home. If you do not have a carer post discharge your procedure may be cancelled and rescheduled until you have organized this.
Overnight patients – Discharge time is between 9am – 10am on your day of discharge. Please make sure your transport home has been arranged and they are aware of what to collecting you. Ambulance service will not be used as routine transport home. Depending on your procedure you may require assistance at home, this assistance could be provided by family or external services arranged, if so please talk with our nurses about your requirements.
Ward Visiting Hours
Visiting hours are form 10am to 12noon and 3pm to 8pm. We do request that you advise your family and friends that a rest period as scheduled between 12noon and 3pm as it is an important aspect of your recovery.
Special arrangements for visiting outside these times can be made in consultation with nursing staff.
Children must be supervised at ALL times by an adult.
Accommodation
Our 8 bed surgical ward has 4 private rooms and 2 double rooms all with an ensuite. Whilst every effort is made to facilitate your accommodation requests for private or shared rooms, we cannot always guarantee your request.
Smoking
This is a NO smoking facility. Patients should discuss alternative therapy with their doctor prior to hospital admission to help them through this period of non-smoking.
Meals
We provide a choice of meals to accommodate special diets where it is in the interest of your medical care, please inform our staff at your pre-admission clinic appointment (ward patients only) and on your admission paperwork. We do not have a canteen or sell food onsite and catering is only for patients and overnight boarders if necessary (at a fee). Alcohol is not permitted on the premises unless ordered as part of your medical treatment.
Patient Feedback
Patient and carer feedback is the information, insights, issues, and input received from you about your experiences with the care and treatment you encountered during you hospital stay. This feedback guides improvements of your experience and can empower positive change. Patients and carers are encouraged to provide feedback through our Patient Centred Care Satisfaction Survey, which is available on discharge or on this website
Compliments or Complaints
Compliments - If you are happy with the care and treatment you received or someone really impressed you from our staff; we invite you to share this with us. You can inform us via phone, card, letter, patient survey or email.
Complaints – If at any time during your admission, you feel that your needs are not being met, please do not hesitate to speak to our staff. If this happens, you have the right to complain and have your complaint heard and acted on.
A complaint can be made at the time of the event to a senior nurse or manager, in writing, over the phone or in person.
If you are not satisfied with how your complaint was handled or the outcome, you may wish to contact the Health Ombudsman. This is an independent organisation that review and investigates health complaints.
Open Disclosure
We pride ourselves on ensuring that you and your family / carers are kept openly informed about any incidents which may have occurred to you during your admission. It is a rare occurrence that any misfortune or incident will occur to our patients but there is always a risk with having surgery or an anaesthetic.
Patient Healthcare Rights
The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights describes the rights of patients and other people using the Australia Health Care system. These rights are essential to make sure that whatever and whenever care is provided, it is high quality and is safe. Further information on this is available in your Patient Information Guide.
