Your specialist, in consultation with you and our nursing staff, will decide when you are ready for discharge from our hospital. This process is important because it ensures that your care is formally transferred from our hospital to your specialist and/or general practitioner.
Our nursing staff will assist in the arrangements for your discharge, in consultation with you and your specialist.
When a patient discharges from Waratah Private Hospital, every care and attention is taken by our staff to ensure this transition from hospital to home care is smooth and seamless. Our discharge time is 9:30am and our staff will endeavour to have you and your paperwork ready for this time. Please note that if you are being picked up at a later time, we may ask you to please vacate the room and sit in one our waiting rooms as the room will require to be cleaned and prepared for an admission that day.
Transport arrangements need to be made on the day before discharge. If ongoing home care is required, our staff will make a referral to the appropriate community service. There may be some out of pocket expenses incurred during your stay and these are required to be settled on discharge. Please note, discharge time is 10:00am.
If you are a day-stay patient, you will rest in the recovery area until your doctor or nurse sees you and approves your discharge. You must have someone to escort you home and are not permitted to drive for at least 24 hours following an anaesthetic.
You may discharge yourself from hospital at any time. This may be a serious step when taken against the advice of your doctor and requires careful consideration. You are encouraged to discuss the implications of this with your doctor and nursing staff. If you decide to discharge yourself against your doctor’s advice, you will be required to sign a form disclaiming the hospital’s responsibility for your action.
It is recommended that you should not drive yourself home after discharge. Please arrange to be taken home by a relative or friend, or use a taxi (we recommend that you do not use public transport, such as a bus).
In the first 24 hours following surgery you should not drive a vehicle or operate any machinery.
You are also advised not to make any important decisions, sign any legal documents, drink alcohol or take any illicit drugs.
You should arrange for someone from your family or a friend to stay with you for at least 24 hours after you get home. We recommend that you rest and follow the instructions of your specialist and hospital staff.
In most cases you will need to make a follow-up appointment with your specialist if an appointment has not already been arranged for you by our staff. This is usually done by ringing your specialist within a day or so of leaving the hospital. If you have any problems before your appointment, please contact your general practitioner immediately.
Please ring your general practitioner if you require medical advice after your discharge.
View our resources and brochures here for more helpful recovery information.