A to Z information

The Aboriginal Health Worker/Practitioner in your hospital can help coordinate your care in a way that is respectful to your personal and cultural needs.

This may include organising your discharge requirements, medication questions and any other help you or your family may need. They may also follow up with you after you leave hospital.

We have a number of health programs Western NSW LHD to support Aboriginal people in our community. Talk to staff to find out which programs are available in your community. Programs include:

• Breast screen Aboriginal Engagement
• 48 hour follow up
• Marang Dhali Eating Well
• Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Services (AMIHS)

Speak with staff to find out more about these programs.

Find out how to contact your local service:

If you have private health insurance you can generally choose to be treated as a public or a private patient.

If you choose to be admitted as a public patient

• You will be seen and cared for by doctors organised by the hospital.
• You will not be able to choose your doctor.
• You will not be charged for hospital accommodation, medical and diagnostic services, equipment or other services.
• Your follow-up care after you leave hospital may be provided in an outpatient clinic of the hospital, or in the rooms of the doctor who treated you.

If you choose to be admitted as a private patient

• You can choose the specialist doctors who will provide care for you.
• Prior to making a choice about using your private insurance, we will tell you if there will be any out-of-pocket expenses for hospital or doctor(s) fees.
• Your specialist doctor will usually provide follow-up care in their private rooms after you leave hospital. As a private patient you may also be eligible to transfer to a private hospital for further treatment or for follow-up care.
• You will have access to a single room if one is available and you have single room health cover.

We have a staff member who will provide you with information to make an informed decision about using your private health insurance. They will liaise with the doctors, health funds and other medical staff on your behalf.  

Using your private health insurance benefits your hospital and the local community through generating funds for the hospital. For more information download the NSW Health My Admission, My Choice, My Election factsheet (PDF 87.59KB).

Being admitted to hospital means that you will be staying for at least one night for medical or surgical treatment.

When you first come into a ward your healthcare team will:

• Explain the ward to you so you know where things are and how they work. This might include telling you about: bathrooms, the nurses’ station, lounge areas, nurse call systems, television, and telephones.
• Talk to you about your current health. Our team needs this information to care for you properly. Let us know about any allergies you have, any medications you are taking and any illness or injury – no matter how small – you’ve had since you last saw your doctor. Complete tests like taking your temperature, checking your blood pressure and measuring your height and weight.
• Talk to you about your medical history.
• Give you an identification band for you to wear until you leave the hospital.
• Ask you if you are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Bedside clinical handover is when the nurse who has been caring for you on one shift, talks to the nurse who will be caring for you on the next shift. When this is done at your bedside it helps nurses understand what your care needs are from shift to shift and ensures correct communication between staff.

During handover, you will be introduced to your nurse for the next shift. The information your nurse’s share might include:

• Your medical history and your current clinical condition.
• Tests and procedures that you have had or that are scheduled.
• Your need for assistance with tasks such as moving around, having a shower and using the toilet.
• Plans for your discharge, even if it is a few days away.
• A review of your healthcare record, which will involve a nurse checking your personal information.
• Checking drips, drains or any wounds that you may have.
• Updating the care board.

You may be asked questions during the handover and we encourage you to participate. If the information is sensitive, our nurses will make sure you have privacy.

You may also be part of a ‘multi-disciplinary ward round’. These rounds involve members of the nursing, medical and allied health teams. Patients are members of the care team and are encouraged to participate and ask questions.

A carer is an individual who provides care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, mental illness, drug and/or alcohol dependency, chronic condition, terminal illness or who is frail.

Carers play a vital role in the health and wellbeing of the person they care for. 

As part of the Top 5 program, we encourage carers to share 5 things that they feel are important for us to know to help with communication, settling and reducing a person’s anxiety during a stay in hospital.

Find out more about Top 5 and resources for carers.

Discharge

Your doctor will talk to you and your family and carers about how long you might stay in the hospital. When you’re ready to go home they will also talk to you about what services or treatment you might need. If you have any concerns about leaving hospital, or what to do after you leave, please talk to any of your healthcare team.

Before leaving hospital, you will be given a document called a Discharge Summary. This will show the treatment and medications you received in hospital, and what care or appointments you might need to have after you leave. A copy of the Discharge Summary will also be provided to your nominated doctor.

As part of planning for you to leave the hospital we may need to talk to you about:

• Your Discharge Summary.
• Follow-up appointments with clinics or other services.
• Follow-up visits from the Community Health Team.
• Organising loans for equipment or aids.
• Making sure your family or carers are aware that you’re leaving hospital and what care you need at home.
• Your transport plans to get home
• Returning your clothes, money and any other items you brought with you such as glasses or dentures.

Let the doctor know if you are registered for the Closing the Gap (CTG) Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) so it can be written on your discharge medication prescription.

Hospital in the Home (HITH)

HITH is an alternative to being admitted into hospital. If HITH is suitable for you, you might come to our outpatient clinic or a nurse might visit you at home to give you care that might normally need you to be in hospital.

Ambulatory Care

Ambulatory care services are provided to you by appointment at a healthcare facility. It could include an appointment with the physio or OT, having an infusion, wound care or a diagnostic procedure.

Community Nursing

After you leave the hospital we may arrange for you to be visited by our Community Nursing service. Community nurses can provide some healthcare services to you in your home.

Additional Community Support

You may be eligible to receive support packages to help you recover and live more safely or comfortably at home after your hospital stay. Talk to any of your healthcare team if you would like more information on what support might be available to you at home. These community support packages include:

ComPacks – is available for up to six weeks following discharge from hospital. A Case Manager will develop a care plan with you and arrange services to be delivered in your home. This may include assistance with personal care, domestic assistance, meals, transport, social and respite support.

Transitional Aged Care Program (TACP) – provides short term care that aims to optimise the functioning and independence of older people after a hospital stay. It may include a package of services such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, as well as social work, nursing support or personal care. It aims to enable older people to return home after a hospital stay rather than enter 16 residential aged care. The program duration is (on average) 6 weeks and flexible between residential and community places.

Safe and Supported at Home Program (SASH)- Supports clients 18 - 64 years with functional impairment/s to allow them to remain independent and safe at home after being discharged from hospital. Services for up to 6 weeks may include home and personal care, meals, transport, social and respite support.

Discharge at your own risk

It is important that you complete your hospital treatment. If for any reason, you want to leave the hospital before it is recommended by your doctor, we encourage you to talk to your healthcare team first.

If you decide to discharge yourself, you will be asked to sign a statement stating you are leaving against medical advice.

After you leave, if your condition does not improve or causes you some concern, do not hesitate to seek further medical attention or return to the Emergency Department.

A nutritious menu is provided by the hospital to meet your dietary needs and food safety standards. We don’t encourage food or drink to be brought in for you because we can't accept responsibility for storing, heating or serving any food prepared outside the hospital.

• The food you normally eat at home may not be safe for you while you are receiving treatment.
• Food that does not meet hospital food standards may carry harmful bacteria if it is not prepared and stored properly.

Talk to a nurse for more information or download HealthShare's Guidelines for bringing occasional food for patients (PDF 823.09KB).

The hospital may have a vending machine available, which takes cash or card.

When you are admitted to hospital you will be given a wrist band which has important information on it about you. Please check the information and let a nurse know if it isn’t correct. Make sure you wear your wrist band at all times when you are in hospital.

We use a process called intentional bedside rounding which means that every hour a staff member will check to see if you are comfortable, need pain relief, need help to use the bathroom and have everything you need. This is also a chance for you to ask any questions you might have about your care or your personal needs.

Each day you will be asked to select your meals for the following day. Our menus are designed for a balanced diet. If you have special requirements, we can organise for you to speak to a dietitian.

You can request more information by speaking with your nurse.

Meal Times

Outpatient services are services provided at the hospital, but you don’t have to be admitted as a patient to use them. Your healthcare team may talk to you about making appointments with an outpatient service after you’ve left the hospital.

Outpatient services may include services such as physiotherapy and medical imaging.

Speak with your nurse or doctor to find out more.

 

There is a public car park available near the main hospital building and disabled parking in front of the main hospital building. Please let us know if you require a wheelchair to get to or from your car.

Next to your bed you will see your patient care board. These boards help all the people involved in your care to communicate with each other, and with you and your family. Staff will update this each shift. We use both intentional bedside rounding and the patient care boards to improve your experience, care and communication with you and your family.

We encourage you, and your family and carers, to use your patient care board to write down any questions you might have.
 

Your feedback helps us to recognise when we’ve done well, and to identify where we can do better. If you have a compliment, complaint or suggestion, please complete a ‘We love feedback’ form. These are available around the hospital. Learn more about other ways you can provide feedback to Western NSW LHD.

You will also be sent a SMS survey from Western NSW Health to complete after you are discharged.

We want you to know:

• Your feedback recognising the good work of our team will always be shared with them.
• If you make a suggestion, it will be considered
• If you make a complaint, it will be reviewed and, if you have chosen to identify yourself, we will let you know about any changes or action taken as a result.

Patient Experience Survey Program - is a simple way to provide feedback on your stay. If you prefer, you can remain anonymous. Talk to your healthcare team about how you can use the patient experience tracker.

E-Yarning - is another way you can provide feedback about your experience in hospital. Management will ask you a number of different questions about your care and comfort, your understanding of medication, your illness or about going home in order to ensure we are providing the best care possible. Ask your nurse to find out more.

The hospital is under 24/7 camera surveillance to ensure the safety of patients, staff and visitors.

Most of our hospitals have phones available in all rooms and can be called by ringing the general hospital phone number and being redirected by Administration. Free internet is also available, no pin is required

No one is permitted to video, photograph or record in this hospital unless everyone involved has agreed. If you are taking video or photographs please make sure you don’t accidentally include people in the background who have not given permission.

Please stop filming, taking photographs or recording immediately if you are asked by staff. These activities may be alarming or upsetting to other patients, or they may be stopping staff from providing care.

Copying or photographing of medical records, recording medical consultations or meetings is not permitted.

Be careful of what you post on social media such as Facebook and Instagram. Images can be easily shared and seen by many people. We recommend you check your privacy settings before posting content on social media.

Please ask one of your nurses if you need more detailed information about privacy and the information we collect about you while you are a patient.

Information about patients and residents is protected under law (Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002) and under the NSW Health Privacy Policy.

If there is information that you do not want to provide, please discuss this confidentially with your doctor or nurse – it may change the treatment we provide.

Why we collect information about you

Information about you helps make sure that we give you the right treatment and advice. We will also need some information to properly manage and operate your health service

How we collect your information

Whenever possible, we will get information directly from you. There may also be information from other health professionals who have cared for you that will be helpful in planning your care. In an emergency we may also ask members of your family, your carer/s, or friends for information about you.

Where your information is stored

Test results and other information are kept with your health record. It may be kept as either paper or electronic files, or both. We take all reasonable steps to make sure your information is stored securely. In some cases, the law requires us to keep some information for a certain period of time.

How information about you is used and shared

All healthcare staff must keep information about you confidential. The information you provide will be shared with healthcare staff involved in your care. This helps make sure we give you the best treatment and care possible.

Relevant information will be sent to your general practitioner unless you ask us not to. We may share your health information to other hospitals and health services involved in your care. For example, we may use your health information if a specialist test or X-ray is needed, or if you need to be transferred in an ambulance.

Under specific circumstances we may need to provide some information about you to courts, tribunals or government agencies. There are laws that govern when and how we do that.

We may use information about you for billing and administrative purposes, including for the planning and improvement of services. This could include providing information to Medicare or private health funds, reporting notifiable diseases, developing statistics, reporting births and deaths, supplying information to agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.

We may also use information to seek feedback or to evaluate our services.

You can request more information on by speaking with your nurse.

For information on using your private health insurance while in hospital, please see ‘Admission Choices’.

Some of our hospitals have a quiet room/healing garden available for reflection or for you to undertake cultural or religious practices. This place is for everyone to use so please respect the privacy and space of others who are in there.

Pastoral and Spiritual Care is an important part of patient-centred care in Western NSW LHD. 

Our staff have contact with chaplains and pastoral care workers who can visit the hospital. Chaplaincy visits are available from a wide range of religions and denominations to support and complement your care. Chaplains can offer spiritual and religious ministry of prayer and can provide support to patients and families during a difficult period while they are in hospital. 

Please let the ward staff know if you would like a Chaplain to visit you during your stay in hospital. Alternatively you may wish to seek a visit from your own religious representative. All denominations can visit the hospital. 

Please limit the amount of cash you keep with you in the ward to a few dollars, and ask your family or carer to take home any other cash or valuables. Hospitals are generally safe places, but we cannot accept responsibility for valuables or money kept with you on the wards.

Where necessary, we can arrange to have valuables stored in the hospital safe. When we do this we will ask you to sign a form to identify your valuables, and you will need to sign it again when they are returned to you.

Being actively involved in your health care and working in partnership with your healthcare providers can help ensure that you get the care that is right for you. 

When it comes to your health care, you should decide what is important to you and make your healthcare providers aware of your goals, values and preferences. 

Tips to help you set healthcare goals, and what you can do to make sure your healthcare team understands your goals:

• Think about what is important to you and share it with your healthcare team.
• Share decisions about care and treatment choices with your healthcare team. 
• Identify multiple goals of care that are positive and achievable, yet challenging. 
• Understand who will be involved in your care and their roles.  
• In helping you reach your goals of care. 
• Be able to access a record of your agreed goals of care, and share it with others if you choose.
• Keep track of your progress towards your goals of care and if they have been met.
• Remember that your goals can change.

Talk to a nurse for more information on this topic or read this information sheet from the Australian Commission on Safety & Quality in Health Care.

Smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes, is not permitted on our hospital grounds. Smoking is not only damaging to an individual’s health, it exposes others to environmental tobacco smoke (sometimes called passive smoking).

Please speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you experience cravings or find it difficult to cope without smoking. Help is available to make your stay as comfortable as possible including:

• Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) such as gum, patches or lozenges. NRT can help to relieve cravings and manage withdrawal symptoms.
• Arranging for you to talk with a healthcare worker about how to stop using drugs, alcohol or tobacco products.
• Providing you with useful information on how to quit smoking.
• Assistance to remain smoke-free after discharge including:
  • Referral to a local smoking cessation service or the NSW Quitline
  • Three days’ supply of NRT for patients who smoke on discharge o A referral to your GP for continuing supply of NRT and support to quit smoking.

If you would like more information on Quitting Smoking visit the iCanQuit website or phone 13 QUIT 137848.

All staff wear an identification badge with their name and position. Staff also wear various uniforms, and others may wear ordinary clothes.

Staff directly involved with your care will introduce themselves and explain their role in your treatment. Please ask if you need more information about who we are and what we do.

Sometimes patients need to be transferred to other facilities away from their homes to meet their health needs. It can often be a challenging time for patients, families and carers.

Friendly Faces, Helping Hands Foundation - helps link rural communities to the major hospitals, health facilities and resources within cities. The Foundation assist people to access quality information to make the difficult time easier. Find information for Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo Hospitals.

IPTAAS (Isolated Patient Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme) - IPTAAS provides financial assistance towards travel and accommodation costs when a patient needs to travel long distances for treatment that is not available locally. Ask staff for IPTAAS forms or call 1800 478 227.

Accommodation for Relatives

Basic accommodation options are available for a small cost and some may by subsided through IPTASS:

Gosling Creek – Bloomfield Campus Orange - If you are visiting from out of town, basic accommodation is available for 18 years and over only. Phone: (02) 6369 8840 or (02) 6369 8920.

Ronald McDonald House – Orange - Provides accommodation for families of children receiving treatment at the Orange Health Service. Phone: (02) 6363 1960.

Macquarie Homestay – Dubbo - Provides patients and their partner or carer with accommodation while receiving treatment at Dubbo Hospital. Phone: (02) 6885 4663.

Tooraweenah Ride for Life Units – Dubbo  - Emergency accommodation for 2 members per family of a patient admitted to the Intensive Care unit who reside over 200km away from the hospital.

Other people may be accommodated if there are rooms available, however it is important to note that should an emergency arise, these guests may be required to find alternative accommodation or share their rooms with a non-family-member of the same sex with little notice. Room hire charges may apply.

There are televisions provided in our hospitals for patients to use. Ask your nurse if you need assistance. There is a small cost for use in some of our facilities.

Visit or call the hospital Main Reception to book a taxi.

Return Home Transport

Arranging transport home from hospital is the patient’s responsibility. Please make arrangements as soon as possible. If travel forms are required to be completed, please assist by advising staff early in the patient’s admission.

Find out more information about patient transfers and return home transport.

Community Transport

Community transport is a service that offers easy-to-access travel for people who have difficulties using public transport or do not have their own transportation. To be eligible, people must:

• Have a mobility disability that prevents them using conventional transport systems.
• Live in a more remote area of NSW without access to conventional transport systems.
• Need to use community facilities/resources that are unavailable during conventional public transport operating hours.

Please make arrangements with your local provider as soon as a day/date of discharge has been discussed to ensure availability if you require it. 

Find a community transport operator.

Angel Flight

Angel Flight is a charity that coordinates non-emergency flights to assist country people who are physically able to enter and exit a small aircraft, to access specialist medical treatment that would otherwise be unavailable to them because of vast distance and high travel costs.

All flights are free andmay involve travel to medical facilities anywhere in Australia. A referral must be sent to Angel Flight with the authority of a registered health professional (for example, a medical practitioner, nurse or social worker) who is familiar with the passenger’s medical condition.

Depending on the locations involved, the Flight Coordinators require 5–10 working days’ notice for transport assistance. Contact Angel Flight by calling: 1300 726 567

Request an Angel Flight

We use a number of virtual care services to complement the care we can provide you closer to your home. Virtual care services support the facility healthcare staff to provide care where and when it is needed. Virtual care may involve your nurse bringing “Wallie,” a telehealth cart to your bedside so that you can see and speak with a remote health care worker about your health needs and concerns.

Virtual care services we currently use are:

• VRGS (Virtual Rural Generalist Service) – Doctors
• Virtual Allied Health – Pharmacist, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist
• vCare - Specialist doctors and nurses as well as the coordination of transport for you between other hospitals when you require specialist care that is not available at your local hospital.

Staying connected with people who care about you is important and we encourage you to have visitors while you are in the hospital. How your visits occur depends on your condition. You can also ask us to limit your visitors or visiting hours.

Please follow the directions of staff at all times. Staff may ask your visitors come back at another time if a visitor is causing a disruption for staff or other patients. When sharing a room, please ask your visitors to respect other patients’ needs and privacy and keep noise to a minimum.

Our visiting hours vary for each hospital but are generally between 8.00am to 8.00pm. Find your hospital to view visiting hours or ask our staff to find out more.

There are no visitors to ED. Palliative patients and the general wards at other times by arrangement.

We have a variety of ways you can volunteer at our facility including support volunteer, Hospital Auxiliary, consumer representative on a committee or Health Council member.

Find out more about how you can get involved.

As with all public health services, we have a zero tolerance policy to violence and aggression.

Our staff, visitors and patients all have the right to be cared for in places that are safe, and free of violence. Any rude or hostile behaviour will be addressed and we are not able to provide treatment if a patient is aggressive or violent.

Please help us to keep our services safe by behaving responsibly and asking your visitors to do the same.

If you have any concerns about your personal safety for any reason, please let us know immediately.