Food and drink
If you are having a general anaesthetic or local anaesthetic with sedation, DO NOT eat or drink for 6 hours before surgery (including gum and sweets). If your specialist gives you different instructions, please follow them.
Getting ready
We request that you:
- Please shower
- Remove any nail polish, make-up, jewellery and piercings. Please note, no responsibility is taken for loss of personal items
- Allow plenty of time to arrive and allow for traffic and parking. If for any reason you are delayed, please contact us as soon as possible.
Please note that our facilities are not set up to accommodate groups of visitors during your surgery. We have a small waiting room for a support person to make themselves comfortable, otherwise we are a short walk from the Newmarket shops and cafes.
What to wear
We recommend you wear loose, comfortable clothing. You won’t need sleepwear.
What to bring
You will need:
- Photo ID
- All documents about your procedure or surgery, including the Consent to Surgery form (if applicable), letters, notes, medication cards from your doctor or other hospitals
- Any test results, X-rays or scans (CT, ultrasound, MRI)
- A list of all current medicine, drugs, tablets, inhalers, injections, herbal remedies, vitamins and other supplements
- Prior approval insurance documents, if applicable
If you are pregnant
If you are pregnant or think you may be, please make sure your specialist and your anaesthetist are aware of your condition.
On arrival
Please report to the ground floor reception, and confirm your payment method (see payment options here).
You will be taken to the day-stay area. A nurse will complete your admission and help you prepare for your procedure/surgery. You may discuss any questions, concerns and personal needs during this time.
After this, you will change into a theatre gown. Before you go to theatre, the anaesthetist and surgeon will discuss your anaesthetic and surgery with you and ask you to sign anaesthetic and surgical consent forms.
Confirming your details
To ensure your safety during your stay, you will be asked to confirm your name and other details several times. This starts when you arrive at reception, then with your admitting nurse, and when you go to the procedure/operating room. Your surgeon, anaesthetist and nurses will also take a short time out to complete a final check immediately before your procedure begins.
Waiting times
We strive to keep waiting times to a minimum but as you can appreciate, we cannot always predict how long a procedure will last. If your procedure is delayed, we will keep you well informed.