Corymbia Day Hospital

Preparing for your hospital visit

• Patient pre-admission forms

  If you have any questions about your admission, please contact our hospital staff on 03 8769 8555, who can answer any questions you may have about your hospital visit.

  • Please return your admission forms at least 7 days prior to your admission. This gives us time to prepare for your hospital visit. If you have not received a copy of this form, you can complete it online by clicking on the button below.

  Online Pre-admission form
• Before your surgery

  Please arrange for a responsible adult to accompany you home and stay with you for 24 hours after your surgery. We cannot discharge you following an anaesthetic unless you have a designated carer, so please let us know as soon as possible if you have any difficulty finding someone. We can discuss the options available to you, such as finding a nursing agency to provide a carer.

  Please contact your doctor prior to surgery if your health has deteriorated, as we may need to postpone the procedure until you’re feeling better.

  For 24 hours after an anaesthetic, you will not be able to:

  • Drive a vehicle
  • Drink alcohol
  • Operate machinery
  • Make important decisions
  • Sign legal documents

  Online admission form
• What to bring
  • Your Medicare card, and where relevant, your Health Insurance membership card, Veterans’ Affairs card, or Pensioner Concession card
  • A list of medications you are currently taking
  • Any recent and relevant X-rays, scans and test results
  • Any asthma puffer or CPAP mask if required
  • Power of Attorney, Enduring Guardianship and Advance Care Directive documentation (if applicable)
  • If you have one, your advanced care plan and/or treatment-limiting orders

  You also need to wear loose, comfortable clothing.

• What not to bring
  • Leave valuables at home
  • Do not wear make-up, nail polish or jewellery, and remove all body piercings
  • No hairspray or hairpins should be worn
• Fasting

  It’s important not to eat or drink anything for a specified period of time before an anaesthetic for safety reasons, as this will protect your airway and lungs while you are asleep. During your pre-admission phone call, we will let you know when this fasting period should begin.

  We will give you a snack and fluids when you are in the recovery room after your surgery.

• Medications

  Check with your surgeon, anaesthetist or GP whether you should take your prescribed medications on the morning of your procedure. You can take them with a sip of water if fasting. If you take medication for diabetes or blood thinning agents, please discuss this with your surgeon prior to surgery. The nursing staff will need to confirm instructions with your doctor.

• Smoking

  It is important that you do not smoke for at least 24 hours prior to your surgery.

• Getting here and parking

  There is free car parking onsite for patients and their carers. The hospital is located opposite the Dandenong Public Hospital, which has a pay parking area available.

• Admission

  Please inform staff of your arrival. The reception staff will review your preadmission paper work to ensure we have the correct details and to confirm your carer and discharge arrangements. You will be asked what procedure you are having done today. This is to confirm that all the details we have received regarding your admission are correct.

  Every effort will be made to ensure you are not kept waiting before your procedure, but there are times when other patients require longer periods in theatre than we anticipate. We’ll let you and your carer know if there are any delays and how your expected discharge time might be affected. It’s a good idea to bring a book or something to keep you occupied just in case.

• Billing and private health insurance

  It is important that you check with your health insurance company that you are financially covered for your operation. With recent changes to policies, some items (operations) have been removed from some health insurance plans. The office staff will also contact your health fund and will notify you of any out of pocket costs during the pre-admission phone call.

  If you are having elective cosmetic surgery, your surgeon will advise you on all fees.

  On admission, any outstanding amount not covered by your health fund (co-payment or excess) will need to be paid. We accept all credit cards except Diners Club.

  If you do not have private health insurance, you will be required to pay the full amount for your day surgery admission. We will confirm this amount with you during your pre-op phone call.

  You will also receive separate accounts from your surgeon, surgeon’s assistant and the anaesthetist for their services related to your treatment. This is in addition to your hospital costs.

  If you are a Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) patient, we will lodge a claim with the DVA for you. If your surgery is part of a WorkCover or Third Party (TAC) claim, you will need to make the full payment (apart from ancillary charges) on admission – unless we have received written approval for admission from WorkCover or TAC.

  Questions to ask your private health insurer

  Before you have surgery, we recommend you contact your private health insurer and check whether you are covered for surgery. We have provided a guide to the questions you should ask.

  Are you covered?
• After your surgery

  You must have a responsible adult to collect you from Corymbia Day Hospital after your procedure, and stay with you for 24 hours.

  We will let your carer know your approximate discharge time, and give them your discharge instructions, which are discussed with you both prior to leaving.  It is important you follow these instructions to ensure the best outcome from your procedure. Your anaesthetist will give you a prescription for any pain relief and/or antibiotics required after surgery. These may be required soon after being discharged, so pick this medication up on your way home.

  One of our nurses will call you on the next business day after surgery to check how you are recovering. You should also ensure you have a post-operative appointment with your surgeon. This is usually organised on discharge.

  Preventing falls

  After your procedure and anaesthetic you may be at risk of falling or tripping. Take care when moving around and we encourage you to rest and let your carer assist you for the remainder of the day.

  Nausea

  This is less common with modern anaesthetics. If it does occur, it should only be temporary. If nausea persists, avoid food but maintain fluids. If it does not resolve within 24 hours, it is important that you contact your doctor.

  Sore throat

  This may occur due to your anaesthetist assisting with your breathing. It usually disappears within 24 hours. Simple pain relief may help relieve this.

  Tender arm or hand at injection site

  This may occur due to irritation of the vein or slight bruising from the needle or the drugs injected, and can persist for several days. If your arm or hand look red or inflamed, consult your doctor and notify the hospital.

  Infection

  Please notify the Director of Nursing at Corymbia Day Hospital should any redness, swelling, pain or discharge be noticed from your wound – or if you visit a doctor and are prescribed antibiotics for an associated infection within 30 days of your procedure.

  Hand hygiene

  We advise patients and carers to wash hands prior to attending wound care or administering eye drops (as per doctor’s instructions).

• Privacy

  As a patient of Corymbia Day Hospital your privacy and dignity will be maintained at all times. We hold medical records relating to your treatment, and the content of these records will only be divulged with your consent or where permitted or authorised by law

  We will handle your personal information in accordance with the Nexus Privacy Policy and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (including the Australian Privacy Principles under that Act) and other applicable laws. For more information, read our Patient Information & Pre-Admission Booklet, and download the Australian Privacy Principles fact sheet.

  Privacy Policy Australian Privacy Principles Fact Sheet
• Quality & Safety

  Corymbia Day Hospital adheres to all statutory and relevant body guidelines and Australian Standards. Our management systems aim to provide the highest level of care to our patients in a safe and supportive environment.

  We work as a team under the management of the Board of Directors, Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) and Director of Nursing, with the following programs in place:

  Quality management – We continually monitor, assess and improve the quality of patient care. The MAC conducts peer-reviewed activities and we publish information about clinical performance, health outcomes and patient satisfaction.

  Risk management – We proactively work to mitigate risks to provide the safest possible environment for patients, visitors and staff.

  Workforce checks – Our dedicated specialist clinical staff have their credentials checked, and are assessed to ensure they can perform their roles so that you receive the highest standard of care and comfort.

  Clinical handover – If your care is transferred from one person to another, our systems ensure there is effective continuity. This includes your involvement in your discharge instructions as a patient or carer.

  Infection control – We aim to prevent and limit the spread of infection through evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.

  Hand Hygiene – Corymbia Day Hospital is committed to the Hand Hygiene Australia program and conducts regular audits to ensure compliance. You can find more information on this program here.

  Consumer involvement – Patients are at the centre of our care model, and we welcome your participation in reviewing our Quality & Safety reports, and feedback on how we can continue to improve.

  Open Disclosure – The Corymbia Day Hospital Governing Body (Board of Directors), Staff and Accredited Medical Practitioners (AMPs) support the practice and principles of Open Disclosure.

  Corymbia Day Hospital has a clear and consistent approach to open communication and disclosure with consumers and their carers,  with a view to fairness, transparency and  accountability.

  Please click on the buttons below to download more information on Open Disclosure or to obtain a copy of our Open Disclosure policy.

  Nexus Quality and Safety Policy Open Disclosure fact sheet Open Disclosure Policy
• Our commitment to child safety

  Corymbia Day Hospital is committed to the Child Safe Standards which came into effect on July 1, 2022.

  We want children to be safe, happy and empowered. We support and respect all children, and this is entrenched in the way we train our staff and volunteers.

  We are committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of all children.

  We have zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously, and consistent with our robust child safety policies and procedures.

  We have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we are worried about a child’s safety, which we follow rigorously.

  Our organisation is committed to preventing child abuse and identifying risks early and removing and reducing these risks.

  Our organisation has robust human resources and recruitment practices for all staff and volunteers.

  Our organisations are committed to regularly training and educating our staff and volunteers on child abuse risks.

  We support and respect all children, as well as our staff and volunteers.

  We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, the cultural safety of children from a culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability.

  We have specific policies, procedures and training in place that support our leadership team, staff and volunteers to achieve these commitments.

  If you believe a child is at immediate risk of abuse phone 000.

  Please contact our General Manager / Director of Nursing via the button below if you wish to view the full policy, or if you have a question or complaint. You may also contact the Victorian ombudsman at the link below.

  Contact Us Victorian Ombudsman
• Complaints, concerns and feedback

  We appreciate your honest feedback, as we are always looking for ways to improve our patients’ experience. You can provide feedback here. You may also receive a questionnaire with a reply paid envelope which are sent out to patients throughout the year.

  If there is any aspect of your care that you are not happy with, please contact the Director of Nursing Jasmine Choo at DON@corymbiaday.com.au. We will promptly acknowledge and investigate any complaints, and communicate the outcome and any recommendations with you.

  If your complaint is unresolved, you can contact:

  Health Complaints Commissioner
  Level 26, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne
  Victoria, 3000, Australia

  Phone: 1300 582 113

  Feedback form