Being Discharged from the Royal Hospital for Women

• From admission, the clinical team will communicate with you and your carer about your discharge. We will provide the best estimate of your discharge date in order that you can make plans. We will also ask you to identify any special needs or barriers that may impact your discharge in order that we can provide the appropriate support.
• On the day you are scheduled to leave the hospital you will be given a discharge form from one of our nurses or midwives. You will need to present the form to either the admissions or cashiers’ desk before leaving.  
• We endeavour to have all discharges processed by 10.00am on the day of discharge, however if you have difficulty leaving at this time, please speak to the Nursing/Midwifery Unit Manager.  
• If you choose to leave the hospital before your doctor or midwife feels that it is appropriate, we will ask you to sign a form that states you clearly understand the medical advice you have been provided.   
• If you have had surgery we advise you to arrange for a responsible adult to accompany you home and remain with you for the rest of the day.  
• Under no circumstances should you drive on the day of surgery.

The staff will provide you with the relevant discharge information such as:

• medication information and pharmacy advice
• follow-up appointments
• special instructions
• community services
• contact details to escalate concerns

Following your surgical day procedure the Nurses in the recovery unit will monitor you closely as you wake from your anaesthesic.

Once fully awake you will be transferred back to the relaxing recovery lounge in the Day Surgery Unit.  

The nurse monitoring your recovery will provide refreshments and advise when you are well enough to return home.

You may not drive yourself home after an anaesthetic, so please ensure that a friend or family member is there to help you return home safely.

If you have any concerns about your discharge, it is ideal to talk to the staff on admission so that we have time to respond to your needs.

Going home with your new baby is very exciting. The RHW provides a number of ongoing programs to support your transition to home.

Please note that your baby will need to travel in an approved rear-facing child car seat if travelling home by motor vehicle.

• Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) or Midwifery Antenatal & Postnatal Service (MAP’s): Your Midwife (or their colleague) will arrange ongoing home postnatal visits after discharge
• Private Obstetrician: Your doctor will arrange postnatal follow-up visits
• Shared Care and Other models:  Our Midwifery Support Programme will provide home postnatal visits after discharge.

To be eligible for this program you must live within the local area for the Royal Hospital for Women: postcodes 2000- 2036 + 2060

Alternately we can refer you to a postnatal home visiting program offered by a hospital closer to your home or you may return to RHW for follow-up.

A week following your discharge from the home visiting program, the midwives will contact you via phone to do a final wellness check and feedback questionnaire.

If you have any questions during this phone call, the midwives will direct you to suitable follow-up.

When you are ready to go home, please go to the Admissions and Discharge Desk where we can finalise your discharge and account payment. Cash and major credit cards are accepted.  

Your hospital accommodation costs can be claimed directly from your health fund. However, you could be responsible for accommodation excesses even though you are privately insured. This payment is required at the time of your admission.  

Using Medicare  

As a Medicare patient, Medicare will pay for your treatment and hospital accommodation. A doctor nominated by the hospital will treat you.  

Using private health insurance  

As a private patient, you will receive treatment from the doctor of your choice. Each doctor will send you an account for their services, which may include diagnostic, pathology, anaesthesia and ultrasound services. Depending on your level of insurance coverage, some accounts will be paid for by Medicare and some will be covered by your insurance. Your hospital accommodation costs can be claimed directly from your health fund. However, in some cases there is a gap, which needs to be paid before discharge from the hospital.  

Using ‘Hospital No Gap’ Private Health  

As a ‘Hospital No Gap’ private patient within the Royal Hospital for Women, you are being admitted into a team-oriented environment under the leadership of the admitting doctor. This team will be providing care for you whilst you are in the hospital. The team includes nurses or midwives, medical officers, registrars and junior medical staff. In this arrangement it is likely that your named specialist will not be providing direct care to you but guiding the team in the provision of your care. The hospital guarantees that you will have no out-of-pocket expenses for any accommodation or medical procedures during your admission to the Royal Hospital for Women. Our simplified billing system ensures that all bills, other than those from your doctor or anaesthetist, will be processed for you automatically through Medicare and your health fund. In circumstances where you receive a bill directly from your doctor or anaesthetist for this admission, it will be fully covered by Medicare and your health fund. Please contact the Patient Liaison Officer (telephone [02] 9382 6067) to assist you with this process or if you have any questions.  

Private payment not covered by private health insurance  

If you choose to enter the hospital as a private patient but do not use or hold private health insurance, you will need to pay for your hospital accommodation before your admission.  

Visiting from overseas

If you are visiting from overseas and you are not entitled to a Medicare card, you will need to bring a passport and pay for your hospital accommodation before admission. If you are a maternity patient, you will need to pay for your accommodation eight weeks prior to your admission. Please bring your receipts for payment when you are admitted. Outpatient visits incur a fee for each visit; tests such as ultrasounds and pathology are additional. The hospital employs a Cross-Cultural Worker in Maternity Services, who will provide ongoing support for women who were born overseas. Please ask your midwife or care provider for their contact details.  

Reciprocal health care agreement  

Some countries have a Reciprocal Care Agreement with Australia. Please ask the Patient Liaison Officer if you qualify prior to coming to the hospital.