Admissions

Initial Contact

You will receive a letter from the Admissions Department confirming that you have been placed on the surgical waiting list which will include a Preoperative Assessment Pack containing a Medical Questionnaire, Consent Form, and information relating to your surgical procedure. Please complete and return the Medical Questionnaire immediately, as failure to do so will delay surgery. Responses help us to asses your general level of health and surgical suitability and may highlight potential risks associated with surgery.

On receipt of the completed form, a member of the Preoperative Assessment Clinic will contact you to discuss the information provided and arrange a Preoperative Assessment, if necessary.

Admission Date Confirmation

Once you are approved for surgery by the Preoperative Assessment Clinic, you will receive advance notice of your date for surgery. In addition, you will be given a sample Surgical Consent Form to review. You do not need to sign and return this form, another will be provided to you for signature on admission. When you receive this letter, you must contact the Hospital to confirm your intention to attend. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of your appointment. To confirm attendance or reschedule a surgical appointment, please contact the Admissions Department:

+353 (1) 814 0334 – This is an answering service only. Please confirm your name, patient reference number or date of birth and a short message to indicate whether you can attend for surgery on the proposed date. If you are unable to attend, we will contact you by letter to propose an alternative date for attendance.
admissions@nohc.ie

Admission Date Reminder

A further letter issues shortly before admission with the following information:

• Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon who will perform your surgery
• Details of the procedure to be undertaken
• Admission date and time
• Hospital charges
• Preoperative Instructions: medication protocol, fasting (if required), items to pack, and other advice relevant to your procedure and hospital stay.

Monday – Friday

We are constantly working to improve efficiencies at the hospital. For this reason, we endeavour to assign individual admission times for patients which are spread over the course of the day. Please refer to the Admission Date Confirmation letter for your personal admission time.

Day case injections: from 7.0am
Patients for admission and surgery who do not require an overnight stay at the Hospital: from 7.00 am
Patients for admission, surgery and inpatient care: from 7.00 am

Sunday/Bank Holidays

Pre-arranged admission for patients requested to check-in the day before surgery: 2.00 pm

If you are unable to attend, please contact the Hospital at your earliest convenience to reschedule. Given sufficient notice, we may be able to offer your cancelled appointment to another patient awaiting treatment.

Rescheduling Appointments

Patients wishing to reschedule or cancel an appointment are asked to contact the Admissions Department:

1. +353 (1) 814 0445
2. admissions@nohc.ie

Failure to Communicate  Cancellation

If you miss an appointment and fail to contact us you are deemed to have opted out of treatment and your details will be removed from the waiting list.

When preparing for surgery we recommend the following:

• Take a shower or bath the night before admission
• Remove nail varnish, false nails, piercings, false tan, eyelash and hair extensions and jewellery.
• Please refrain from applying body lotions.
• If you are having a general anaesthetic, we recommend that you take a late supper before 10 pm the night before admission. Please do not drink anything (including water) from midnight onwards. If you receive a late admission time, the nursing staff may provide you with alternative advice on fasting.
• If you suspect that you might be pregnant, please inform the Admissions Department. If pregnancy is confirmed your surgery may be deferred to a later date.
• If you are under 16 years of age, a parent or legal guardian must accompany you to the Hospital. And should you require inpatient care, a parent or guardian must remain with you for the duration of your stay.
• Removal braces and dentures should not be worn during surgery.

Diabetic Medicines

Insulin or Hypoglycemic drugs
If you are taking medication for the treatment of diabetes please do not to take medicines on the morning of surgery. Please bring your medication to the Hospital, for review on admission, ensuring medications are in their original packaging, with clear instructions for use.

Other Medicines

Warfarin, Plavix, Nu-Seal Asprin, HRT, Oral Contraceptive Pill, Methotrexate, Arava, Kineret, Humera or Remicade
If you are taking any of the above drugs please refer to the information sheet provided by the Preoperative Assessment Clinic for advice. If you did not attend the Preoperative Assessment Clinic please contact the Medical Registrar at the Hospital for advice on medicine management.

Note:
If you are taking medication or herbal remedies, please consult the information sheet provided by the Preoperative Assessment Clinic or contact the Medical Registrar for advice. Please do not discontinue medication without consultation.

We recommend you arrive at the designated time and reception will direct you to the Admissions Department. A member of the team will check your personal details, contact information and next of kin to ensure they are complete and accurate.

You will then be admitted and assigned to one of the hospital wards. When you arrive at the ward, the nursing staff will review your details again, answer any questions you may have, and help you to settle in. They will also run through your medications, ensure that you have followed preoperative instructions and confirm your expected date of discharge so that you can plan your journey home and notify relatives. In addition, they will confirm your medical procedure and ask you to sign a Surgical Consent form.

We know that medical terminology can be difficult to understand, especially if English is not your first language. If you require translation services please contact the Hospital in advance of admission, so that we can identify and engage the services of a suitable interpreter to assist you. Contact the dayward on + 353 (1) 814 0400

Before you undergo surgery, it is important that you receive detailed information on the surgical procedure, risks and benefits. This information will help you to decide whether you wish to proceed with the surgery. It will also set your expectations for recovery and assist your postoperative planning.

When you present for surgery you will be asked to sign a consent form confirming you have received and are satisfied with the information provided and that you wish to proceed. This is known as Informed Consent. It is a safeguard to ensure that you understand and accept the process, risks and benefits, and potential outcomes of surgery.

Paediatric Patients
A parent or guardian must accompany patients under 16 years and will be required to sign consent for surgery on their behalf.