Get health advice
In an emergency call 000 or go straight to your nearest emergency department.
Otherwise, if you're feeling unwell or not sure if you need to see a doctor, HealthDirect offers a handy symptom checker and approved health advice.
You can call the HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (24 hours) to talk to a registered nurse.
HealthDirect can tell you:
- when and how you can safely take care of yourself at home, or until you can visit your doctor
- what to keep watch for, when to call 000 or go to the hospital.
Hospital admission and discharge
See the NSW Health website for general information about going to hospital or going home from hospital.
You can also find out more about the relevant facility or service and contact them directly for local information, or if you have any questions.
Choosing public or private
When admitted to any NSW public hospital, Medicare card holders can generally choose to be treated as either a public or a private patient. This is called your patient election or financial election. This choice can be made before, at the time of, or as soon as practical after you are admitted to hospital.
Find out more about your choices, and about the benefits for private patients, at NSW Health My stay in hospital. This information includes fact sheets in a range of community languages.
Elective surgery
Blue Mountains Hospital
Once the booking office has received your paperwork, staff will phone or write to offer you a date for your surgery. Confirm your availability with them as soon as possible.
Call (02) 4784 6579 if any of your personal details change.
Nepean Hospital
Admissions staff will contact you by telephone to process your admission details.
If you have not spoken to them, contact the Surgical Booking Office on (02) 4734 3067 (Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm) before the date of your procedure.
- Arrange for a friend or family member to pick you up from the hospital afterwards, and to stay with you when you get home in case you feel unwell.
- If you are having general or local anaesthetic do not have anything to eat for 6 hours before your procedure. You may eat a light meal before fasting time begins, and you may drink water up until 2 hours before your procedure.
- Do not drink alcohol or smoke for 12 hours before your procedure.
- Be sure to attend any pre-admission clinic appointments that have been scheduled for you.
- It is not recommended to have an anaesthetic within 7 weeks of having COVID unless your procedure is urgent.
Do
- bring your Medicare card and photo identification
- bring any medications you are currently on
- bring toiletries, pyjamas, dressing gown and well-fitted slippers or footwear
- wear loose, comfortable clothing that can be easily changed
Don't
- bring valuable items or money. If you do bring them we can't be responsible for them. If you need to secure any items talk to a nurse on your ward.
- wear make-up, nail polish or jewellery
- If you are feeling unwell within the week before your surgery or something unexpected comes up, let us know as soon as possible. You may also need to visit your GP to assess whether you are well enough for surgery. It is not recommended to have an anaesthetic within 7 weeks of having COVID unless your procedure is urgent.
- Let us know if you can’t make it, even on the day. Call our booking office on (02) 4734 3067 (Nepean) or (02) 4784 6579 (Blue Mountains). The earlier you let us know the better so we can do our best to rebook your procedure, and use the theatre time for someone else if possible.
- If your surgery is at Blue Mountains Hospital, enter through the emergency entrance on Woodlands Road and report to Day Surgery to sign admission forms. If your surgery is at Nepean Hospital, see reception staff on arrival at the day only or Building E, APC Ward.
- You will be required to complete a patient assessment and consent form with a nurse before admission.
- The time that you are asked to arrive will not be your actual procedure time. There will be some waiting involved before your procedure. We suggest you don't make any other plans for this day.
- Emergencies or unforeseen circumstances can occasionally require your surgery to be rescheduled for another date (advised by your surgeon).
- If you are accompanied by a support person they may be permitted into the ward depending on your condition and course of recovery.
See Anasthesia and pain management in Nepean Blue Mountains for information about operations requiring the patient to be given anaesthetic.
This includes information about preparing for the operation, and what to expect during and after the procedure.
Visitors
Find current guidelines about who can visit you, and when, in our Information for visitors.
This also includes information about transport and parking to help people get to our facilities and services.
Tell us if you're worried (REACH program)
If a patient or their family or carer is concerned about changes in the patient's condition while they are in hospital, it's important that you tell us.
First talk with a nurse or doctor caring for the patient.
You can request a clinical review, which means a doctor will come to check the patient's condition, generally within 30 minutes.
If you are still worried, you can escalate your concerns at any hour of the day or night by making a REACH call. Dial 79000 from the patient's bedside phone or another phone in the hospital ward. You can also call from a mobile phone to (02) 6350 2300(Lithgow); (02) 4784 6615 (Blue Mountains); (02) 4734 2222 (Nepean); or (02) 4560 2222 (Hawkesbury District Hospital).
REACH is a communication process developed by the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission. It stands for Recognise, Engage, Act, Call, Help is on its way.
When you call, you will need to tell us the patient's name, ward and bed number and why you have called.
A REACH clinician will come to the patient's bedside to speak to you and address your concerns.
REACH is available at all Nepean Blue Mountains hospitals as well as our drug and alcohol and mental health inpatient services.
It is not available in emergency departments (except Lithgow Hospital), intensive care, community health centres or outpatient services.
Reportable Conduct Scheme
The NSW Reportable Conduct Scheme monitors how organisations investigate and report on allegations of certain conduct towards children.
At Nepean Blue Mountains LHD we take the protection of children in our care seriously.
Watch the introduction to the NSW Reportable Conduct Scheme video to learn how the scheme works and about our obligations.
Introduction to the NSW Reportable Conduct Scheme
The Max and Molly learn about Reportable Conduct video is a resource to explain reportable conduct to primary school aged children.
Max and Molly learn about Reportable Conduct
For more information, visit the Office of the Children’s Guardian website.
Your rights and responsibilities
See NSW Health Patient care, treatment and concerns for details about your rights and responsibilities when using public health services in NSW.
See the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights.
Patient experiences and feedback
Read about the experiences of our patients, told through patient surveys at BHI.
Contact us if you would like to give feedback about your experience with any of our staff or services.
Service quality and performance
The Bureau of Health Information (BHI) publishes regular independent reports about how NSW public hospital and ambulance services are performing.
Visit BHI to see how Nepean Blue Mountains LHD is performing.
Smoke-free policy
All our hospitals and locations are smoke-free. Smoking anywhere on the grounds may result in a $300 fine. View our policy.