Our surgical teams at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) manage a range of planned (elective) surgery procedures. Planned surgeries are scheduled based on clinical urgency.
Key points
- Planned surgery refers to a surgery or procedure that is booked in advance
- You will need a referral from your general practitioner (GP) or healthcare provider to one of our specialist clinics
- If you need surgery, your timeline for treatment is based on clinic availability and your urgency category
What we do
Planned surgery is a surgery or procedure that is booked in advance. Planned surgery includes both day procedures and those that require an overnight or multi-day stay.
The RMH provides the following planned surgery services:
- Cardiothoracic
- Colorectal
- Gastroenterology
- General surgery, including breast, oncology and endocrine surgery, and hepatobiliary surgery
- Oral and maxillofacial, and ear, nose and throat
- Nephrology (kidney surgery)
- Neurosurgery
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedic
- Plastic and reconstructive
- Urology
- Vascular
Who can use our service
To receive planned surgery at the RMH, patients must first be referred to and assessed by one of our specialist clinics.
Your planned surgery journey
About planned surgery at the RMH
When you are referred to us, you will be seen and assessed by a clinician. For some conditions, you be recommended non-surgical treatment first. If you proceed to see a doctor or surgeon and need surgery, our specialist clinics will add your name to our surgical preparation list (wait list).
Prepare for and attend your surgery
When a time becomes available, we will let you know your surgery date and time and book you in for any pre-surgery appointments you may need.
Our clinics
| Clinic name | Location | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiology Pre-Admission Clinic | The RMH Parkville | |
| Cardiac Workup Pre-Admission Clinic | The RMH Parkville | |
| Pre-Admission Clinic | The RMH Parkville | |
| Cardiac Surgery Pre-Admission Clinic | The RMH Parkville |
Our clinics
Referrals
How to refer a patient
We accept GP and specialist referrals:
- Use the RMH referral form or a template from your own system
- Complete and fax your referral to Specialist Clinics (Outpatients) on (03) 9342 4234
We do not accept email referrals.
What to include in your referral
As outlined by the Department of Health, referral requests should include:
- Patient demographic information
- Referrer demographic information
- Reason for referral
- Presenting problem
- Service(s) requested
- Required referral information specified by statewide or local referral criteria
- Current patient management
- Impact of the problem on the patient
- Name of the consultant and provider number (for Medicare clinics)
- Investigation reports related to the referral
Urgent and after-hours support
Referrals are triaged based on priority. In an emergency, patients can go to the Emergency Department at any time.
For advice, urgent referrals and out of hours support, call The RMH Switchboard on (03) 9342 7000 to page our registrar on call.
HealthPathways Melbourne provides guidance on best practice assessment and management of common medical conditions, including when and where to refer patients.
Parkville Connect is a secure web-based portal providing GPs, specialists and other health professionals with information in the Parkville electronic medical record (EMR).
Need to change or cancel your appointment?
Do one of the following:
- Access Health Hub to change the appointment yourself
- Complete our online form and we'll change it for you
- Call Specialist Clinics (Outpatients) on (03) 9342 7393 and we'll help you over the phone
What to bring
Every time you come
Every time you come in for a test, day procedure, surgery or treatment, you should bring:
- Medicare card
- Health Care card (if you have one)
- Concession card (if you have one)
- Adverse drug alert card (if you have one)
- Medications you are currently taking, including any that you have bought without a prescription
- X-ray films, scans, ultrasounds or any other test results you have which are related to your procedure
- Private health insurance card (if you want to use it)
- Aids (glasses, hearing aid, walking frame)
For a clinic appointment
If you come for a clinic appointment, you should also bring:
- Your appointment letter
- Any special items listed on your letter
- Your appointment book (if relevant)
- TAC or WorkCover claim number
For an overnight or longer stay
If you come for an overnight (or longer stay), you should also bring:
- A dressing gown and slippers, or comfortable day clothes and shoes
- Your toiletries
- Your iPad or tablet and phone, provided you are happy to take responsibility for them
Do not bring (for overnight or longer stay)
And if you're staying overnight or longer, do not bring:
- Your handbag, wallet, purse or large amounts of cash. Just bring a small amount for items such as newspapers, magazines or coffee
- Valuables, such as jewellery, watches or other items of value to you
Interpreters and cultural support
We provide qualified, professional interpreters to help you communicate with us at any time during your stay and at your clinic appointments.
- Μάθετε περισότερα γιά διερμηνείς & υποστήριξη κουλτούρας
- Scopri di più sugli interpreti e sul supporto culturale
- Tercümanlar ve kültürel destek hakkında daha fazla bilgi edinmek için
- Tìm hiểu thêm về thông dịch viên và hỗ trợ văn hóa
- 找出更多翻译与文化支持的信息
- لمزيدٍ من المعلومات عن خدمة الترجمة الشفهية والخدمات الثقافية
Telehealth
Start your Telehealth video call at your appointment time by joining this waiting room