General information
At The Sydney Clinic, your care is important to us.
We endeavour to contribute to the provision of the best possible care in a warm, compassionate environment.
Our health care team comprising of nursing staff, health professionals and accredited private specialists is dedicated to anticipating and exceeding patient's needs.
We are happy to help patients with any questions or concerns they may have regarding their stay at The Sydney Clinic.
The Sydney Clinic is Accredited according to the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. For more information on NSQHS standards please click HERE.
Thank you for choosing The Sydney Clinic. We understand that coming into hospital may be an unsettling experience, particularly if it is your first time.
To make things easier, here is what to expect on arrival at The Sydney Clinic.
The first people you will meet are our friendly Patient Registration Officers, who will offer you a beverage before taking you through the admission process. We request that you bring proof of identification (e.g. birth certificate, passport or drivers licence), your COVID- 19 vaccination certificate (if applicable – digital version accepted), Health Insurance information and Medicare Card.
If you wish, we encourage that you bring a friend or family member with you if you would like some additional support during the admission process. If you do not wish to bring a friend or family member, our friendly Peer Support Workers are available on Monday-Thursday and will be happy to provide support as requested when you arrive at The Sydney Clinic.
Our Patient Registration Officers will then proceed to assist you with the admission paperwork, and will take payment for your Health Insurance Excess if required. We will then take a photograph which will be kept on our system as a form of identity during your stay for our staff, whilst at The Sydney Clinic. All information you provide, including your photograph, will be handled in accordance with the NSW Privacy Act and treated with confidentiality. You will then be advised of the facilities available at The Sydney Clinic e.g. laundry service, to make your stay more comfortable, as well as being provided with a brochure of The Sydney Clinic Outpatient Day & Evening Therapy Groups on offer.
You will be provided with a patient identity wrist band. This is an important document which enables our nursing and medical team to identify you when discussing your care and administering any medications. It is requested that if you remove this at any point during your admission you contact any of our nurses or administration staff at reception to have a replacement printed.
Finally, you will meet with our medical officer who will discuss any current health needs with you, after which you will meet our nursing team who will give you a tour of the facility and help you get settled in to your room.
Please note, as part of this admissions process the nurse assisting you will complete a search of your belongings. This is to help us keep our environment safe for you, our team, and our specialists.
We look forward to assisting you further during your recovery journey.
The Sydney Clinic is a voluntary admission hospital, this means that you can discuss your discharge with our team at any point during your admission and we will ensure that provisions are offered for a safe transition back to the community.
To achieve the best outcomes following discharge, we like to plan this in advance with yourself, your treating team and any carers or family members.
In the event that you are unable to stay for the duration of your admission, you may be asked to complete a ‘Discharge Against Medical Advice’ form.
At The Sydney Clinic we are always looking for ways to improve, and to serve the community better.
If you have any feedback which could help us to improve, please email TSCReception@Healthscope.com.au, alternatively please call 02 9389 8888 and request a call back from our Quality Manager, Director of Nursing, or General Manager and we will be happy to assist with your enquiry.
Insured patients / those with private health insurance
Healthscope has agreements with the majority of private health funds to cover the hospital charges for your admission.
Depending on your level of cover, some policies require you to pay an excess or co-payment and you will be asked to pay this prior to, or on admission. In addition, health fund policies require members to serve waiting periods before they will provide cover and some levels of cover have excluded services.
Pre-existing ailment rules may also apply and your cover may be subject to these rules. We therefore strongly recommend that you contact your health fund to confirm your cover prior to your admission.
Your account for hospitalisation will include your accommodation and other chargeable items in accordance with Healthscope’s current fee agreement with your health fund.
You will be asked to complete and sign a health insurance claim form on admission.
We will submit your claim directly to your health fund on your behalf. It is important that you know that in the event that your health fund rejects your claim for reimbursement for any reason, the hospital will seek to recover any amounts outstanding from you.
This is why it is important that you check your level of cover with your health fund prior to admission.
Self-funded / those without private health cover
If you are a self-funded patient you may be required to pay an estimate of the total amount of the hospital account prior to admission to confirm your booking or the estimated total cost on admission.
You will be required to pay any positive difference in your account on discharge. If the amount paid by you was in excess of the amount required to cover the cost of your care you will receive a refund from the hospital.
This will come in the form of a cheque and may take between four to six weeks to arrive (this allows for approval and delivery).
Estimated hospital costs will be provided prior to your admission by the hospital.
We endeavour at all times to provide an accurate estimate, but unforeseen circumstance can occur and additional costs may be incurred.
Workcover / Third Party Insurance
If your admission is as a result of Workcover, Third Party or Public Liability claim, the hospital will require prior written approval for your admission for the relevant insurance company.
Your admission cannot be confirmed or proceed until this written approval is received.
Any claims that have not been approved by the insurance company will be treated as a self funded admission and the estimated hospital costs will be payable by you.
Payment methods prior to or on admission
The hospital accepts cash, bank cheques, money orders, EFTPOS, Visa or MasterCard for any amounts payable. A credit surcharge of 1.5% applies for Visa and MasterCard.
Personal cheques are not accepted. If choosing to pay by EFTPOS, please note that most financial institutions have a daily limit of $1,000.
Factsheets
Australian Drug Foundation’s Drug Info Clearinghouse
http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au
Australian Government: Department of Health and Ageing
National Health and Medical Research Council
Mental Health fact sheets can be accessed at:
The Black Dog Institute
http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au
Australian Government: Department of Health and Ageing
Mental Health Association NSW
http://www.mentalhealth.asn.au
SANE Australia
Social Anxiety Support (SAS)
http://www.socialanxietysupport.com
Links
Alcoholics Anonymous
ARAFMI NSW
Carers Australia
http://www.carersaustralia.com.au
Centrelink Australia
Commonwealth Carelink
www.commcarelink.health.gov.au
Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service of NSW (GLCS)
JewishCare
Jewish House
Medicare Australia
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au
Narcotics Anonymous
Australian Health Insurance Information
http://www.privatehealth.gov.au
SMART Recovery
We encourage friends and family members of our clients to visit.
To ensure that visits do not interrupt groups and therapy, we encourage visitors to come to The Sydney Clinic between 4pm-8pm.
If there are special circumstances which make it difficult for you to visit during these hours, we request that you call ahead to discuss special visiting arrangements with the Nurse Unit Manager for the unit on which your friend or family member is staying.
Level 1 (Mental Health): 02 8362 2452
Level 2 (Addictions): 02 8362 2419