Are you coming to hospital for surgery or a procedure?

When you receive treatment and services by Ramsay Health Care, you can expect a high level of professional expertise and safe and effective care.

We want you to feel reassured and understand what you are experiencing during your stay in hospital as well. We encourage you to ask questions about any aspect of your care, and participate in planning and decisions about your treatment.

What Ramsay Health Care does to reduce your risk

Ramsay Health Care aims to improve safety for patients by minimising key risks and optimising the quality of the services we provide. In each of our hospitals, we focus on known risks to our patients which, for example may include: falls, medication safety and pressure injuries.

Every effort is made to minimise risk, unfortunately, incidents do occur and Ramsay Health Care supports open disclosure.  This is the process of open communication with patients and families when an incident results in unintended harm.  It involves discussion of the incident, investigation and any actions taken to improve the care delivered and ensure the incident is not repeated.

What you can do to reduce your risk

We at Ramsay Health Care know that hospitals can be unfamiliar, and this can be a challenge when you are also unwell or recovering from surgery. We want to keep you safe and the following information is intended to help you while you are a Ramsay Health Care patient.

Hygiene

There are several ways you can assist in preventing an infection:

• Always wash your hands after using the toilet, bedpan or a commode
• Wash or clean your hands before eating
• Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor or staff caring for you, if they have washed their hands
• Avoid touching your wound or devices (for example fluid tubes into your arm or drain tubes)
• Let the care staff know if your wound or areas around any of the lines or tubes become red or swollen or painful
• Discourage visitors who may be feeling unwell
• Stop smoking before any surgery, as smoking increases the risk of infection

Hygiene and Infection indicators

One of the most effective ways to prevent infection spreading amongst patients is for all health professionals to wash their hands. Hand hygiene is conducted in accordance with the ‘five moments’ that is; before touching a patient; before a procedure; after a procedure; after touching a patient; and after touching a patient’s environment.

Ramsay Health Care participates in the national hand hygiene strategy through Hand Hygiene Australia, and Hand hygiene audits are conducted three times per year.

Hand hygiene compliance is reported as the percentage of correct moments from all observed moments.

The rate of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) infections is an indicator of the effectiveness of the hospital’s infection prevention and control program. It is a key indicator for acute hospitals, and is reported nationally.

The SAB indicator is reported as a rate of infections per 10,000 patient days. It is calculated by dividing the number of SAB infections that meet the indicator criteria, by the number of patient days then multiplying that figure by 10,000.

Surgical site infections are an indicator for infections that develop as a result of an operation. Ramsay Health Care participates in the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) Clinical Indicator Program and use their definitions for these indicators.

These indicators are reported as a percentage of all procedures during the period. They are calculated by dividing the number of deep or organ/space surgical site infections that meet the indicator criteria by the number of prosthesis procedures performed.

Ramsay has a low percentage of patients who have an unplanned readmission to hospital following discharge. Monitoring of this information is very important as it provides an indication of the effectiveness of our discharge planning processes.

Patient Identification/Information Sharing

Sharing of information about your care while you are in hospital is an important aspect of ensuring your safety and continuity of care between your doctor, nurse and other healthcare workers. Every day, at the start of a shift, a handover is undertaken by staff. One aspect of the handover is at the bedside, which is an opportunity for you, your family or your carer to be involved - by asking questions, clarifying concerns and participating in your care including your discharge from hospital.

What Ramsay Health Care does to reduce your risk

Ramsay Health Care doctors provide surgery in many specialty areas which range from minor procedures to more complex surgery requiring specialised care. We monitor our patient outcomes by comparing any unplanned returns to theatre to other Australian hospitals nationally. The aim is to reduce returns to theatre where possible; however, there are many factors which influence these returns and sometimes these returns may be essential.

Unplanned returns to the operating theatre are frequently due to complications, for example to treat bleeding or other problems which may occur early after the operation. Some complications following complex surgery are to be expected due to patients’ pre-existing diseases or condition, and the nature of the disease or condition being treated. Our hospitals monitor all returns to theatre and implement any quality measures which may be required so that our patients have the best possible outcomes following surgery.

What you can do to reduce your risk

You will be given an identification band when you are admitted to hospital. Staff may refer to it as an 'ID band' or a 'wrist band'. It will include your name and date of birth, and be placed on your wrist or leg.
You should:

• Always wear your ID band
• Make sure the information on the ID band is correct

Staff will check your ID band before every test or procedure and before giving you any medication. They will also ask you what your name is and other details, to make sure that the right patient is getting the right treatment every time.

All our hospital staff should be wearing an identification badge. If you can't see their badge, or you're not sure who someone is, please ask.

Surgery indicators

The indicators for unplanned returns to theatre and unplanned admissions to ICU are indicators of quality of service delivery. Ramsay Health Care participates in the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) Clinical Indicator Program and use their definitions for these indicators.

The unplanned return to theatre indicator is reported as a percentage of patients having a procedure during the period. It is calculated by dividing the events that meet the indicator criteria by the number of patients having a procedure during the period.

The unplanned admission to ICU indicator is reported as a percentage of patients receiving anaesthesia care during the period. It is calculated by dividing the events that meet the indicator criteria by the number of patients receiving anaesthesia care during the period.

Blood Safety

Australia has one of the safest blood supplies in the world, however, as with all medical procedures, a blood transfusion is not completely free from risk. A blood transfusion is a procedure where you receive blood through an intravenous cannula (IV) inserted into a vein.

What Ramsay Health Care does to reduce your risk

Before you receive a transfusion, strict checks of your name and date of birth are done by two staff. If you need to have more than one bag of blood, staff will do these checks every time. Staff will also monitor your pulse, blood pressure and temperature on a regular basis. Most people feel no different whilst having a transfusion, but if you feel unwell advise staff immediately.

What you can do to reduce your risk

Any treatment is a choice and before you are given a transfusion, you will be asked for your consent. To help you make this choice, the following questions may be helpful:

• Do you know why a transfusion has been recommended?
• Have you asked about ways to avoid or reduce the need for a transfusion?
• Do you understand the risks?

More common risks of transfusion include:

• Minor reactions including a mild temperature or skin rash
• Fluid overload, causing breathing difficulties especially with older patients and those with heart disease

Other less common risks of transfusion include:

• Receiving blood that is not ‘matched’ to you
• Transmission of infection e.g. bacteria or viruses.

Blood safety indicators

The serious blood transfusion events indicator is reported as a percentage of all transfusion episodes during the period. Ramsay Health Care participates in the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) Clinical Indicator Program and use their definitions for this indicator. It is calculated by dividing the number of patients who have a serious blood transfusion event that meets the indicator criteria by number of transfusion episodes during the period.