Surgery appointments
Your specialist will write a letter to the hospital and ask us to make an appointment for your surgery.
We'll let you know how long you might need to wait for your surgery. Hospitals see patients in the order of how urgent their condition is. This means we see patients with the most serious or life-threatening illness or injury before patients with less serious problems.
Once we've worked out an exact date for your surgery, we'll send you another letter to tell you when to come in.
Sometimes, you can come in for your surgery and go home the same day. Other times, you might need to stay in hospital overnight or longer. Your doctor will tell you what needs to happen.
Sometimes, emergencies mean we have to do your surgery another time. We'll let you know as soon as possible if we need to reschedule your appointment or surgery. We'll fit you in at the earliest available time.
Getting ready for your surgery
Getting ready for surgery can feel overwhelming if you don't know what to expect. Your doctor or surgeon will talk to you about anything that you need to do.
The Queensland Government website has information about:
- hospital care before, during and after going to hospital
- what to expect for an operation or surgical procedure.
Costs
Surgery is free if you have a Medicare card. You'll need to bring your card to each appointment.
If you're not eligible for Medicare, you might need to pay for your treatment.
If you need to travel to get surgery, you may be able to get help to pay for your travel.
If you had inpatient surgery, you may also be able to use it. Go to the Queensland Government website to read more about the Patient Travel Subsidy scheme.