How do I get on the waiting list?
The General Practitioner will provide a letter of referral to a Specialist. The outpatient clinic will contact you with an appointment time and date according to the urgency category. The specialist doctor then decides if surgery is required. Once the decision for surgery is made the specialist will complete a 'request for admission / wait list inclusion' form and send it to the hospital. When the surgery is booked you will receive a letter from the hospital advising of the date for surgery and preadmission appointment.
What is consent?
Consent for the surgical procedure should be obtained prior to placing the patient on the elective surgery waiting list.
The referring doctor should provide information on
- What is involved
- The risks associated with the proposed procedure
- Other options for management of the condition
- The need for consent
- Attendance at pre-admission clinic
What is the elective surgery waiting list?
When a public patient's elective surgery is booked it goes on a public hospital's waiting list. Elective surgery waiting lists are used to manage access to public hospital elective surgery services and give priority to those in most urgent need of care.
How long do I have to wait for my surgery?
Waiting time is calculated from the time you are booked for the surgery until the time admitted for the elective surgery. Time you have to wait for the procedure is difficult to estimate due to the competing pressures on the public hospital system. The surgeon will determine the clinical priority for the procedure.
Emergency and category 1 patients will have first priority.
Waiting time may also be affected by
- Changing health needs of the community
- Seasonal factors
- Day surgery patients do not require overnight stay and often have a shorter waiting time
- The number of patients referred to the specialist
- The amount of operating time the specialist doctor has allocated by the hospital.
Sometimes the clinical urgency category of patients on the waiting list may change if for example the condition deteriorates or becomes unstable. In these cases urgent treatment may be required and priority will be given to these patients. For this reason the position on an elective surgery list is not an exact indication of the time it will take to have the surgery.
If I have private health insurance can I have my procedure more quickly?
Public hospitals provide care solely on medical need and having private health insurance will not shorten your waiting time.
If you have private health insurance or the ability to pay you may wish to have your procedure undertaken at a private hospital. It is advisable to discuss all of the fees with your specialist and health fund.
What do I need to do before my surgery?
Before your surgery you will be given a preadmission clinic appointment. You will be assessed to ensure you are ready for surgery. Non-attendance will result in your surgery being cancelled.
Why are treatment times quicker for some non-urgent cases than for semi urgent?
Treatment times are affected by patients' availability, any other coexisting medical conditions and the level of demand for the services of the individual specialists. Treatment times can vary widely when few procedures are performed.
What do I need to do if I feel I no longer need the surgery?
You may no longer require the surgery for a number of reasons:
- Your condition has resolved without surgery
- You no longer feel that you want the surgery
- You may have found alternative means of treating your condition
- You may have had your treatment elsewhere
If you no longer want or need the surgery please contact the hospital where you were listed for surgery.
Are you ready for surgery?
The elective surgery lists are reviewed regularly to make sure that all patients will be able to accept a booking date for surgery as soon as they are contacted.
You may not be ready for elective surgery for a number of reasons. You may choose to delay your surgery for work or social reasons or may require additional medical treatment before you can have your surgery.
If you are not ready for surgery you must advise your hospital. If you have advised your hospital you will not be placed at the end of the queue when you are again available for surgery. If you are unsure of your status on the list contact the hospital.
Questions you may wish to ask your general practitioner (GP) if they suggest you should go to see a specialist
- Why do you think I need to see a specialist?
- Why are you choosing this particular specialist or service?
- How much experience does this particular service have in treating my type of health problem?
- How can I make an appointment?
- If I do need to be admitted to hospital, when can I have my elective surgery?
- How necessary and how urgent is this surgery?
- Is there any evidence my condition will change if I cannot access my surgery quickly?
It is often helpful to discuss these matters with your general practitioner so he or she can help you more fully understand your situation
Questions you may wish to ask your specialist about choice of treatment
There are differences in the way certain conditions can be treated. Alternative treatments may carry risks and benefits and they may have different effects on your health and quality of life. When you see your specialist, it is important that you ask him or her to explain all the available treatments, including the option of not proceeding with treatment.
It is likely that most issues will be discussed with you when you visit the specialist or outpatient clinic, however these questions may be helpful for you:
- What are the expected benefits and risks of the treatment options?
- What may happen to me if I do not have the treatment you suggest?
- Will the recommended treatment or test affect my general health and wellbeing?
- How urgent is this treatment or test?
- Can you explain to me exactly what you intend to do?
- What type of anaesthetic (general or local) will I need to have?
- What are the risks associated with the anaesthetic?
- Will I need a blood transfusion?
- Will I need any tests before the operation? If so, what are they?
- Is there anything I should or should not do before surgery?
- Will you or someone else be performing the surgery?
- Do you do many of these operations?
- When can I expect to have my surgery?
- How long will I be in hospital?
- What happens after the operation? How can I expect to feel after the operation?
- What sort of follow up care will I need after I leave hospital?
- How long will I be away from work or unable to perform the routine tasks that I do now?
- How much will it cost? (operation, tests, post-operative visits)
- Is there any evidence my condition may change if I do not have my surgery soon?