If you are booked in for an operation, you may be asked to attend a pre-admission clinic one to two weeks prior to your operation.

The pre-admission clinic will do a thorough assessment of your health and your current and past medical history. You will also be given information about what to expect up to and following your surgery.

What to bring

You will need to bring:

• Your appointment letter
• Medicare card
• concession cards such as Healthcare card or Veterans Affairs card
• any forms that you have been asked to fill in
• a list of any medicines you are taking regularly.

What to expect

You can expect to see a range of health professionals at your pre-admission clinic appointment including:

• anaesthetist—a specialist doctor who gives anaesthetics. They will see you in the clinic and ask you about your health, any anaesthetics you have had in the past, and check your fitness to have an anaesthetic.
• resident medical officer—a member of the surgical team who will give you a thorough medical examination
• registered nurse—who will take several observational tests including your temperature, blood pressure, height and weight
• pharmacist—who will look at your current medicines and ask if you have had any allergic reactions to any medicines in the past.

Don’t be afraid to ask any of these staff questions relating to your operation or your recovery. They are here to help and will be happy to talk to you about any aspect of your treatment.

If you are unable to attend your appointment

If you are unable to attend your appointment for any reason, please contact us as soon as possible on the number printed on the front of your appointment letter. If you do not arrive for your appointment, you may be taken off the waiting list for the surgery/procedure if you do not advise our booking office.

Change of details

Please contact the main hospital phone number or the clinic if you have recently changed your address or contact details.