Specialist consultation

Prior to your admission at our hospital, you will have a consultation with your specialist. This discussion will help you understand what needs to happen before you are admitted to hospital, and will explain the procedure and treatment so you can give your informed consent. 

Ask any questions you have. You may want to include the following:

  • Do I need any further tests, x-rays or blood clot treatments prior to admission?
  • What are the expected outcomes and risks associated with the procedure?
  • When do I need to stop eating and drinking prior to a procedure?
  • Which of my regular medications should I stop or continue to take? It is important your specialist is aware of all your medications including home remedies, over-the-counter medications, supplements and blood thinning medications.
  • How long is my surgery expected to take?
  • How long am I likely to be in hospital?
  • Will my mobility be affected? If the answer to this question is yes, you may need to make arrangements for crutches, transport, meals, and potentially different sleeping arrangements, once you return home.

Your specialist should advise the date of your procedure, the anticipated length of your hospital stay, and provide you with a Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital Patient Admission Pack.

While you are in the hospital your medical care will be the responsibility of your specialist, while your nursing care will be provided by Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital nurses. We do not employ doctors at our hospital, but we expect your specialists to visit regularly during your stay.

In the case of a medical emergency, we will call your specialist and you may be transferred to a secondary or tertiary hospital. Information about this is included in the Agreement to Treatment Form

Patient admission forms

There are a number of forms you will need to complete and many of these must be received by us at least one week prior to your admission, although receipt as early as possible is appreciated. 

These forms contain important questions about your personal details, health history, medications, and any special needs you may have. Please complete all sections, and ensure we receive these at least one week prior to your admission so that our healthcare team can plan for your arrival.

Patient admission forms are available in your Admission Pack, supplied by your specialist; or by downloading the PDFs below.

Patient Admission Form

Patient Health Questionnaire

Agreement to Treatment Form

Non-NZ Resident Acknowledgement Form

Paper forms can be sent to us using the freepost envelope provided in your Admission Pack. If time does not allow for postage (as we require forms at least one week prior to admission), admission forms can be dropped into the hospital reception, or legible high-resolution scans or photographs can be emailed to queenstownforms@scclh.co.nz 

After we review your patient admission forms, we may phone you to request more information about your health or ask you to provide additional documents (such as a power of attorney or welfare guardian document). We may also need you to visit us for a pre-admission consultation or an assessment by a nurse/local anaesthetist to determine the likelihood of complications and transfer to a tertiary hospital.

Agreement to Treatment Form

You will be required to give informed consent to your procedure in consultation with your specialist surgeon and anaesthetist. This involves signing the Agreement to Treatment Form confirming you have discussed the surgery with your specialists, understand any possible risks and agree to go ahead with the surgery as outlined on the form. You should not sign this form until you have had this discussion with your specialist.

In the event of a procedure complication, you may need to be transferred to a secondary or tertiary hospital. It is important you are aware that transportation from Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital to a secondary or tertiary hospital can sometimes take significant time (due to distance, weather, or other factors out of our control). This is explained within the Agreement to Treatment Form and each of our patients is offered the opportunity to have their procedure in a hospital located closer to a secondary or tertiary hospital. 

Please bring your Agreement to Treatment Form when you come to hospital for your procedure, unless already provided with your admission forms.

Non-NZ Resident Acknowledgement Form 

You only need to complete the Non-NZ Resident Acknowledgement form if you are not a New Zealand resident.

 

Pre-admission Covid-19 checks

Our pre-admission checks may be impacted under the Covid-19 Protection Framework (traffic light system). Please refer to our Covid-19 section for our latest patient requirements.

Pre-admission assessment

You will receive a phone call from one of our pre-admission nurses to confirm details prior to your procedure, including arrival time on the day of your admission and fasting details (when to stop eating and/or drinking). This supports the team to plan for your safe care. Please also use this as an additional opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

Hospital cost estimate

Once you have had your specialist consultation, you may wish to get an estimate of your hospital costs. If you have private health insurance, your provider may require this estimate as part of their pre-approval process.

To streamline the estimate process, it is helpful for you to have the following information, which your specialist can provide:

  • Your detailed procedure description.
  • The expected surgery duration.
  • The expected length of stay in hospital.

By emailing us these details, we can provide you with an indication of your hospital charges.

Please be aware that medical practitioners (including your surgeon and anaesthetist) and allied health professionals (such as physiotherapists) are independent of Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital and will provide you with a separate account for you or your insurer. You may wish to seek price indications from each of your health practitioners. Your specialist can confirm their contact details.

Your actual hospital costs will not be finalised until after your procedure, as they are based on the actual time in the theatre, length of stay and medical supplies used which are not fully known in advance. Your account will be finalised and provided at the time you are discharged from hospital.

Payment

Depending on who is funding your treatment, you may be required to make a deposit, co-payment, or excess payment 3-5 days prior to your admission. Any outstanding balance on your hospital account is payable on hospital discharge.

We accept online payment by internet banking. Payment by EFTPOS, VISA or Mastercard is also available at the hospital. We do not accept payment by cheque or cash.

Internet banking
Account number: 12-3113-0131692-00

It is important for account holders to include the below details as this will help us to identify your payment quickly and easily.

Particulars: Your name

Reference: Invoice number (if known)

Code: NHI number (if known)

If you have any queries about payment, please contact us.

If your surgery doesn’t go ahead, your deposit will be refunded to you in full.

Health insurance pre-approval

If you have private health insurance, your insurance company may require an estimate of your hospital costs for prior approval. Click here for more details about hospital cost estimates.

If your health insurance provider has pre-approved your hospital expenses, please provide a copy of this letter to the hospital as soon as possible. A copy of this pre-approval letter must also be presented at your admission. It is the patient’s responsibility to arrange prior approval with their health insurer. Please ensure you understand what amount your insurer will be covering, as some insurance policies require a co-payment or excess payment and this is payable to the hospital before admission.

Typically, if your treatment is covered by insurance you will need to forward all final costs on to your health insurance provider. Please note that our hospital does not submit insurance claims direct to insurance providers.

Treatment covered by ACC or a DHB  

If your treatment is covered by ACC or a DHB (District Health Board), Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital will seek approval for payment of your procedure, on your behalf. If you receive a prior approval letter from ACC, check it is addressed to the Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital and bring this with you when you are admitted.

If your procedure is only partially funded, you may be required to pay a deposit, or pay for specific charges such as visitor meals.

Child patients

We encourage parents and carers to stay with their children in hospital. Please contact us should you wish to stay overnight so we can ensure space is available.

Let us know if you would like to visit the hospital before admission to familiarise your child with the surroundings and processes. As much notice as possible would be appreciated. 

A favourite teddy or toy can make a real difference in comforting children and we are happy for these to accompany your child during their stay with us.

On most occasions, we encourage a parent or caregiver to be with their child as the anaesthetic is started. Please discuss this with your anaesthetist and surgeon. If you are unable to do so, a nurse will stay with your child during this time. We reunite parents or caregivers with children as soon as is practicable after procedures.

Pre-admission checklist

Download checklist

Prior to Admission

  • Ensure all Patient Admission Forms are completed, including your Patient Admission Form and Patient Health Questionnaire, and are received by us at least one week prior to your admission.
  • Get pre-approval from your health insurance provider if required and provide any pre-approval letters to the hospital.
  • Process any necessary payments to Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital required prior to admission.
  • Read and follow our recommendations in Essential Health Information.
  • Arrange transport home from hospital.
  • If you are a day-stay patient, and are returning home on the day of your procedure, arrange for someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours.
  • Follow the instructions given to you around eating and drinking, as well as taking medications, remedies and supplements.

What to bring to hospital

  • Any health insurance or ACC prior approval letters.
  • Your Agreement to Treatment Form.
  • Any documentation (including test results, x-rays, scans, letters, notes, or medication cards) relevant to your procedure.
  • All the medications you normally take in the original packaging (not blister packaging) including herbal remedies and supplements. It is helpful to have a printout from your GP or pharmacy specifying dosage and frequency of prescribed medications, especially if you take a lot of medications.
  • Your Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital Admission Pack including the information sheets, Blood Clots and YOU brochure and all other information leaflets.
  • For children, we recommend a favourite teddy or toy.

If you are staying overnight, please also bring

  • Comfortable sleepwear, a dressing gown and slippers.
  • Your personal toiletries.
  • Reading material or other leisure activities.
  • Any personal aids such as glasses, hearing aids and dentures.

We are happy to look after your personal items (such as glasses, hearing aids and dentures) but recommend that you leave other valuables and jewellery (other than Medic Alert accessories) at home. 

On the day of your admission

  • Notify the hospital immediately if something happens that may delay your arrival.
  • Shower, wash your hair and remove any nail polish. Do not wear makeup, jewellery, lotions or moisturisers. Please do not shave the surgical site.
  • Wear clean warm clothes that are loose fitting and easy to put on.
  • If you are accompanying a child patient, we request that you do not bring other children with you to hospital. If this is not possible, we ask that you arrange for another adult to be present to supervise non-patient children. 

At any time, please contact us if you have any questions, concerns, problems, or would like more information about your condition or treatment. We want to make your stay with us as comfortable as possible.