Your Stay

ACCOMMODATION

We offer a range of private and shared rooms, each attractively decorated and equipped with private telephone and television. Ensuite facilities are provided to most rooms and each Unit has its own lounge area and kitchenette. Every effort will be made to accommodate you in the room of your choice. If your preference is not available at the time of admission, your request will be recorded and allocated as soon as practical.

If you are acutely ill or have had major surgery, you may be placed in our High Dependency Unit. This Unit is a separate dedicated three-bed area, which provides specialised facilities and care for the patient by our highly skilled staff.

BUSINESS OFFICE / RECEPTION

The Front Office / Reception is open during the following hours:
Monday to Friday 6.30 am to 8.30 pm
Saturday 7.00 am to 8.30 pm
Sunday 7.30 am to 8.30 pm

CAR PARKING

As the Hospital has limited parking facilities for medical staff and visitors, for your safety, it is advisable to have someone drive you to the Hospital and to collect you following discharge. It would be appreciated if you and your visitors would refrain from using the spaces designated for doctors, the ambulance and radiology patients.

COMPLIMENTS / COMPLAINTS

We welcome compliments and feedback relating to your stay with us and we encourage all patients to complete the Patient Questionnaire that are available in the ward. This enables us to evaluate and improve our services to our patients. These questionnaires are anonymous, however, if you wish to write a specific and signed letter, your points will be acknowledged and dealt with appropriately. Patient satisfaction surveys are conducted independently of the hospital by Press Ganey Associates. If you are surveyed, your inclusion in these surveys is voluntary. We would appreciate your assistance if you are asked to participate.

If you are concerned about your care or the hospital services please do not hesitate to contact the Nursing Unit Manager on the ward, the Director of Nursing or the Chief Executive Officer. Complaints can be received by writing a letter, by telephone, in person or through our survey system.

COURTYARD

If you would like to partake in some fresh air, our central courtyard is available. This is a non-smoking area.

DENTURES

If you wish to remove your dentures during your stay, to avoid the risk of them being lost or damaged, please ask a member of the nursing staff for a container. Dentures are not removed until you are in the Operating Theatre.

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES

For safety reasons, the use of personal electrical appliances (except portable radios with earplugs) are discouraged. All appliances brought to the Hospital must be given to the nursing staff, who will arrange for the appliance to be checked by the maintenance staff.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

The Hospital has highly developed safety and emergency procedures in which each staff member has a key role. In the unlikely event of an emergency, remain by your bed until a staff member arrives to assist you.

FLOWERS / GIFT BASKETS

All flowers and gift baskets will be delivered to you promptly upon receipt. A member of our Environmental Services staff will also care for your flowers by changing the water and spraying them daily.

HAIRDRESSER

A hairdressing service is available upon request for a fee. Appointments can be made through the Ward Clerk.

IDENTIFICATION OF STAFF

All staff wear name badges as a means of identification and internal security. The badges show the staff member’s name and position.

INFECTION CONTROL

The Management and staff of Mitcham Private Hospital are committed to providing all patients with the highest quality care by promoting infection control.

Hand washing, high standards of housekeeping, the use of sterile techniques and equipment, are just a small part of the efforts our staff make to ensure your speedy recovery and to reduce the risk of infection. However, patients also have a vital role to play in reducing risk of infection to themselves and other patients.

Here are a few very simple guidelines. Please take a moment to read them: • Always wash your hands prior to leaving your room.

• Personal hygiene is very important. Soap is readily available so that you can wash your hands after each visit to the toilet.
• Always keep toiletries for your own use, do not share them with others.
• Please feel free to tell your caregivers if you have any concerns regarding the cleanliness of your room and/or bathroom.
• Please feel free to remind your caregivers to wash their hands or use antimicrobial hand rub/gel before attending to your care.
• Please avoid sitting on the beds of other patients. Nursing staff are happy to provide you with a chair if required.

If you have any questions about infection control, the nursing staff will happily assist you.

Despite the implementation of an excellent Health Control program, the risk of developing an infection related to a surgical procedure or your hospital stay cannot be completely removed.

The following precautions are taken to minimise the risk of infection related to a surgical procedure.

• Admission to hospital reduced to the shortest possible time prior to surgical procedure
• Shower with anti-microbial skin solution prior to surgical procedure (relevant to specific types of procedures only)
• Hair removal from operative site (this will be attended to by hospital staff)
• Ensuring skin is intact at or adjacent to the operative site
• Absence of local or systemic infection in any site of the patient

If you have any queries relating to Infection Control, the Infection Control Co-ordinator is available to answer these and can be contacted through the nurse caring for you.

Your co-operation in helping us to maintain a high standard of infection control is appreciated.

KIOSK

The Hospital has a small kiosk (located near the main entrance) that is open during the following hours:

Monday to Thursday 3.00 pm to 8.00 pm
Friday to Saturday 2.00 pm to 7.00 pm
Sunday Closed

The kiosk provides an assortment of magazines, confectionery, drinks, cards and gifts for sale.

A vending machine is situated on the lower ground floor.

LAUNDRY

Unfortunately, the Hospital is unable to assist patients with personal laundry. It would be appreciated if you could make your own arrangements.

MAIL

All mail delivered to the Hospital is distributed to you without delay. Mail received following your discharge is forwarded to your home address.

MEALS / PANTRY FACILITIES

Healthy and high quality meals are prepared in our five star council rated kitchen which complies with all hygiene and infection control standards. Special dietary requirements are catered for on request and the services of a dietician are available.

We recommend that food not be brought into the Hospital for patient consumption, as the Hospital cannot be liable if preparation and transport of the food does not comply with the Food Standards Code. Visitors are welcome to use the pantry facilities to make tea or coffee, however food and soft drinks are for patient consumption only. Commercially prepared and packaged food brought into the Hospital will only be permitted for patients that require special diets e.g. Gluten free. Lollies, Chocolates, Soft Drinks and fresh fruit are acceptable. However, if you choose to bring in perishable food it must be labelled, dated and refrigerated if not consumed immediately. Each day you will be required to complete your menu selection for the next day. Upon admission, if you are permitted to eat, you will be given a copy of the menu for that day.

The meal times are as follows:
Breakfast 7.45 am - 8.00 am
Morning Tea 10.00 am - 10.15 am
Lunch 12 midday - 12.30 pm
Afternoon Tea 2.30 pm - 2.45 pm
Dinner 5.30 pm - 6.00 pm

MEDICAL INFORMATION

If You Are Having Surgery

The preparation for surgery may vary depending on the type of procedure to
be performed.

The following general routine applies: -

• You will need to refrain from food and drink, as advised by your Doctor.
• You are advised not to smoke for at least 24 hours prior to surgery.
• You may be asked to shower and you will be required to dress in‘ theatre attire’.
• All make-up and jewellery must be removed, with the exception of a wedding ring that must be taped.
• A pre-operative shave may be required.
• Your Anaesthetist may speak to you prior to surgery.
• You may be given a pre-anaesthetic injection or oral medication prior to surgery. This will relax you but may also make your mouth feel dry, which is normal.
• You will be transferred on to a theatre trolley or ward bed and transported to the Operating Suite. In some cases, you may even walk to the Operating Suite.
• Following surgery, you will spend a short amount of time in the recovery area, where a member of staff will observe you until you return to your room.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to ask your nurse or a member of the operating theatre staff.

NO LIFT POLICY

A “No Lift” patient handling program designed to maintain patient independence and promote a safe, healthy working environment for staff has been implemented at Mitcham Private Hospital. To promote safety, equipment may be used to aid your movement in bed and to facilitate you transfer into and out of bed.

NURSING CARE

At Mitcham Private Hospital, each member of the nursing staff are allocated a number of patients and is responsible for the patient’s care throughout the shift. Naturally, you may have a different nurse for each shift. We do however, endeavour to ensure that you have the same nurse care for you as often as possible.

NEWSPAPERS

A daily newspaper round is performed each morning and someone will call at your room. Papers can also be purchased at the hospital reception desk.

NOISE

Please respect the wishes of other patients and avoid undue noise.

CHILDREN MUST BE SUPERVISED AT ALL TIMES.

PASTORAL CARE

If you wish to see your minister or visiting clergy, please advise the nursing staff.

PATIENT RECORDS

Details of your care and treatment are kept in the strictest confidence and remain the property of the hospital. We believe that our patients can feel safe in the knowledge that we safeguard their personal information, ensuring that their confidentiality is respected and stored securely. We also ensure that our processes adhere to the Commonwealth Privacy Act and other legislative requirements. You have the right to have access to the Health Information that we hold in your health record. When appropriate, an interview can be arranged to view your records allowing you to seek clarification about certain matters. You can also request an amendment to your record, should you believe that it contains inaccurate information.

If you wish to obtain a copy of your records we ask that you make a formal request for access to your health information. You can ask for our Privacy Officer who can give you more detailed information about how to obtain access to your health record.

We strive to ensure that the information kept about you is accurate, relevant and up to date.

SMOKING

By law, Mitcham Private Hospital is a smoke free environment. Visitors and patients are requested not to smoke inside the hospital. There is one designated patient smoking area. This area is located outside the Main Entrance. Smoking is not permitted in any other area of the hospital grounds.

SURVEYS

To enable us to continue meeting the needs and expectations of our customers - random surveys are conducted to receive your feedback. If you are approached, we would be grateful to hear your comments and opinions of the Hospital. We are committed to providing the best care possible in all areas. Alternatively, please feel free to complete a Patient Questionnaire. If one is not available in your room, please ask your nurse to obtain one for you to complete.

TELEPHONE CALLS

All telephones provide access to calls within the Melbourne Metropolitan area. To telephone outside the Hospital, dial 0, wait for the dial tone, and then dial your number. All local calls are free of charge.

If you wish to make an STD or overseas call, please contact the Switchboard Operator on extension 7 between 7am and 8.30pm. The Operator will then arrange your call and you will be charged accordingly.

If required, a public telephone is situated near the front entrance and in maternity lounge.

Due to interference with equipment, mobile telephones are not allowed within the Hospital. It would also be appreciated if your visitors could please turn off their mobile telephones prior to entering the hospital.

TELEVISIONS

Ear plugs for the television are available for patients in shared rooms. Please ask the nursing staff if you require a set of ear plugs. Please do not use your own.

VALUABLES

The hospital cannot take responsibility for any valuables brought into the hospital, therefore we suggest that you leave your valuables at home. Where this is not possible arrangements to place valuables in the hospital safe can be made. Please advise the nursing staff if you would like to have your valuables locked in the safe.

VIDEOS

We have a selection of new release videos that will be screened daily on channel 8 at 12 noon and 8.30 pm. A schedule of this month’s movies will be handed to you on admission (overnight stay patients only). Please ask a member of staff if you have any questions.

VISITING HOURS

Visiting hours are as follows: High Dependency Facility – please liaise with the nurse in charge. Maternity 3.00pm to 4.00pm 7.00pm to 8.00pm Medical and Surgical Units 2.00pm to 8.00pm

VISITOR MEALS

Visitors are able to join patients as guests for a meal. A standard menu is available and set costs are payable. Visitors may either pay at the Front Office or sign for their meal and the cost will be charged to the patient at the time of discharge.

YOUR TREATMENT

If at any time during your stay you have any concerns about the treatment, progress or care that you are receiving, please bring this to the attention of the Unit Manager. Mention to your nurse that you wish to speak to the Unit Manager. At Mitcham Private Hospital, we are committed to ensuring that you receive the best care possible.