Help emergency staff
Remember, care in an emergency department (ED) is prioritised. Visit Emergency Department waiting times to learn how long you can expect to wait at participating hospitals.
If you are not seriously ill, you can help our ED staff by using alternative services, including:
- seeing your local GP
- using the Healthdirect symptom checker
- talking to a registered nurse by calling the Healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222.
- learning how to prepare, prevent, respond to and recover from emergencies and major incidents.
The Healthdirect symptom checker can help you find out:
- how to better understand the symptoms you might have
- when and how to safely take care of yourself at home, or until you can visit your GP
- what to keep watch for and when to call 000 (triple zero) or go to the emergency department.
Hospital admission and discharge
Refer to the NSW Health website for general information on going to hospital, planning your hospital stay and going home from hospital.
You can also learn more about the relevant Murrumbidgee LHD facility and contact them directly for local information or if you have any questions.
If you or someone you know is going to hospital, it's very important to be aware of the risks of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) and how to prevent them, as they are an ever-present factor in every health system.
Travelling long distance for treatment
Patients who need to travel long distances to access specialised treatment not available locally, may be eligible for financial assistance to cover their travel and accommodation costs.
The Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) provides assistance towards travel and accommodation costs when you need to travel 100km one way or 200km within a week for appointments to the same medical practitioner or health service.
You can claim financial help towards:
- accommodation
- private vehicle travel
- air travel (in special circumstances)
- taxis (includes ride sharing like Uber)
- public transport (trains, buses, ferries).
Visit the IPTAAS website for more information or to make a claim. You can also call IPTAAS on 1800 IPTAAS (1800 478 227) or email IPTAAS@health.nsw.gov.au
You can also ask your social worker or healthcare team for information about IPTAAS.
Visitors
Family and friends are important to helping patients feel better and recover faster. We want you to visit when you can but it’s important to be sensitive to all patients.
Contact the relevant Murrumbidgee LHD facility to find the current guidelines about who you can visit, and when.
In special circumstances, visiting hours may be flexible and 'after hours' access can be arranged, if needed.
It is important we all work together to protect loved ones, health care workers and everyone within our facilities. This also means understanding when you should and shouldn’t visit.
When planning your visit, remember to:
- always follow the basic rules of hand hygiene
- always follow the directions of the healthcare workers and the facility
- stay at home and do not visit the hospital if you are unwell or have had any symptoms within the last 3 days that could include:
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhoea/loose bowels
- flu or fever (or feeling feverish)
- an uncontrolled cough or tickle in the throat or a rash.
- be aware and considerate when you're a patient of a facility or if you're visiting a patient of a facility, it helps us keep our hospitals and facilities safe for everyone.
Please carefully reconsider visiting if you are not well. You might not think it matters but there could be serious impacts on the potentially vulnerable people you come in contact within our facilities.
If you are unwell but do need to visit, please inform us before you do. We can work with you to help minimise the risks.
Ideally, stay at home and do not visit if you are sick or have had any symptoms within the last 3 days that could include:
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhoea/loose bowels
- flu or fever (or feeling feverish)
- an uncontrolled cough or tickle in the throat or a rash.
Hand hygiene is the single most important factor in reducing hospital acquired infections.
Hand hygiene is a general term referring to hand washing with soap and water or using a waterless hand rub (sanitiser) to cleanse hands.
- Your healthcare worker should always perform hand hygiene in front of you. If you did not see your healthcare worker conduct hand washing, feel free to remind them.
- Use alcohol-based hand rub (or sanitiser) provided within our facilities to disinfect your hands on the way into the ward, and when leaving the ward.
- Always perform hand hygiene:
- after going to the toilet
- after blowing your nose
- after smoking
- after handling/patting animals
- before, during and after preparing food
- when your hands are visibly dirty.
If you are coughing or sneezing during your visit, you can help us to reduce the spread of illness within our facilities by:
- not sitting on a patient's bed
- not touching or handling any equipment
- always covering your cough or sneeze with your sleeve, and responsibly disposing of tissues in the bins provided
- following all instructions of healthcare staff, including wearing a face mask during your visit
- getting your yearly flu shot to reduce the chance of respiratory illness.
Tell us if you're worried (REACH)
If a patient or their family or carer is concerned about changes in the patient's condition while they are in hospital, it's important that you tell us.
REACH is a communication process developed by the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission. It stands for Recognise, Engage, Act, Call, Help is on its way.
You can escalate your care concerns using the REACH system by:
- first talking with a nurse or doctor caring for the patient
- if you or the patient is still worried, you can escalate your concerns by calling 1800 904 355 to activate an independent review of your concerns in 30 minutes.
Learn more about the REACH system and find helpful resources and toolkits.
Your rights and responsibilities
View the NSW Health patient care, treatment and concerns for details about your rights and responsibilities when using public health services in NSW.
See the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights.
Learn more about your rights and responsibilities in Murrumbidgee LHD.
Choosing to go public or private
When admitted to any NSW public hospital, Medicare card holders can generally choose to be treated as either a public or a private patient.
This choice can be made before, at the time of, or as soon as practical after you are admitted to hospital. This is called your patient election or financial election.
Find out more about being admitted to a public hospital as a privately insured patient in Murrumbidgee LHD.
Visit NSW Health to learn more about your choices and the benefits for private patients. This information is available in a range of community languages.
Service quality and performance
The Bureau of Health Information (BHI) publishes regular independent reports about how NSW public hospital and ambulance services are performing. Visit BHI and see how Murrumbidgee LHD is performing.
The Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation Series provides detailed information about variation in the rates of specific clinical conditions and the care provided in the Australian Healthcare system.
Patient experiences and feedback
We are committed to providing patients and clients with high level care. Your feedback matters and is an important way to identify care issues and improve services.
Contact us to provide feedback about your experiences with any of our staff or services.