Day Surgery

What is Day Surgery

Day Surgery Services provides patients requiring minor surgery the convenience of not staying overnight while still receiving specialised care by highly skilled Specialists and Nursing staff.

Day Procedures that may be carried out could include Diagnostic Gastrointestinal, Dentistry, and Minor Gynaecological Surgery, or any minor surgical procedure that your Specialist feels could be carried out as a Day Procedure.

You will be guided through the process by the hospital staff and when you are discharged home on the same day you will be provided with a Discharge Summary outlining details of any special care you may require, as well as your follow-up appointment with your Doctor.

Confirming your Booking

We aim to make your stay as comfortable as possible and ask that you help us by planning ahead. Don’t leave your booking arrangements at Newcastle Private Hospital until the last minute. Try to contact the hospital at least one week before admission, but definitely two days, before your admission day to complete the registration at the bookings office between 8.00am and 6.00pm Monday to Friday and 10.00am and 3.00pm at weekends.

Admission to the Day Surgery will be between 6.00am and 6.00pm Monday to Friday.
We will advise you of your admission time and any other information that’s relevant to your stay at Newcastle Private Hospital. If you have faxed your admission form please bring the original with you.

We make every effort to keep to schedule, however we ask you to understand that operating procedure times can sometimes vary. If possible, we’ll contact you with a revised schedule to save an unnecessary wait.  We also recommend that your support person drop you at the hospital, we will provide them with an anticipated time to collect you after you have recovered from your surgery.

What You’ll Need

Unlike patients undergoing surgery that requires an extended stay in hospital you will need only a few items of clothing for your stay. All patients are provided with a theatre gown to wear during their procedure.

• Shower before leaving home
• Dress comfortably, including low-heeled shoes
• Do not wear talc, deodorant, make-up or nail polish and keep jewellery to a minimum
• Leave valuable jewellery at home
• Do not bring large amounts of cash to the hospital

Your Arrival

When you arrive at Newcastle Private Hospital you’ll be escorted to one of our consultation suites where your admission details will be confirmed. Our Day Surgery Coordinator will also explain your procedure in full, check your blood pressure, your medical history and note any allergies you may have. After this, you’ll be taken to the Day Surgery Patient Lounge where you can relax until it is time for your procedure.

Recovery

Recovery periods vary from patient to patient but once you’re alert you will be moved to a comfortable recliner chair and offered light refreshments.

When your recovery is complete, our nursing staff will provide you with a Discharge Summary containing details of any special care you may require, as well as details of a follow-up appointment with your Doctor. This summary also outlines some general rules to be observed following your procedure.

You will be discharged into the care of an adult to accompany you home and stay overnight with you.  Until then, we strongly advise that you should not:

• Travel on public transport
• Make important decisions or sign any legal documents
• Operate machinery
• Attempt to drive a motor vehicle

It is Newcastle Private Hospital’s policy to follow up with a courtesy telephone call the day after your procedure to check on your recovery, but if you have any concerns after a night’s rest you should contact your Doctor.