Patient Information

Common Questions.

We want you to feel prepared and fully informed before you come in, so we’ve gathered answers to the questions patients ask us most. Take a look through them and if there’s anything we haven’t covered, or you’d just like to talk something through, please get in touch. We’re always happy to answer questions or discuss any concerns.

Surgical Bookings

Your surgeon arranges your admission to Belverdale, so the process starts with them. Once we receive the booking request, we’ll be in touch to talk through your admission planning and any other details. If we’ve asked you to provide any documents for your admission, you’re welcome to email them to us at reception@belverdale.co.nz.

Most people having surgery with us will attend our Pre-anaesthetic Assessment Clinic before surgery is finally approved. It’s a nurse-led clinic run in partnership with our anaesthetists, and appointments take around 60–90 minutes. There’s nothing extra to pay — any costs are already included in the final price of your service.

The clinic is an essential part of our pre-admission screening: it helps us identify and manage any known or preventable risks at every stage of your care, which is why it can’t be left out of the process. If you’ve had a general anaesthetic with us before, you may not need to repeat it — this is decided case by case, at the discretion of our Anaesthetic Team and Ward Manager.

No — we don’t send out written confirmation or admission details. If you haven’t heard from us, or you’d like confirmation sooner, please call the hospital on (06) 348 1182 and we’ll be happy to help.

It’s important that you feel fully informed about your surgery or procedure, so before the day it’s worth asking your surgeon:

  • What your surgery or procedure will involve.
  • Whether there are any risks.
  • What alternative options you have.
  • How much it will cost — your surgeon will let Belverdale know whether you need a cost estimate (charges are split into separate Surgeon, Anaesthetist and Hospital fees).
  • Whether there’s any special preparation you need to do beforehand.
  • Whether you’ll need any further tests or investigations.

Costs & Insurance

Yes — you’re welcome to request an estimate of the hospital charges that may apply to your visit. Please keep in mind this can only ever be an estimate: the actual cost isn’t known until after your surgery is complete and your account is finalised at discharge.

Your total cost will usually be made up of:

  • the hospital charge, covering theatre and recovery,
  • a hospital accommodation charge,
  • a charge for sundries (medical supplies and the like),
  • your surgeon’s fee,
  • your anaesthetist’s fee,
  • any other health professionals whose services are needed (for example, a physiotherapist).

If you have medical insurance, you must apply for prior approval from your insurer before your surgery. Once you have it, please write your approval number on your health questionnaire.

It’s also worth checking exactly how much your policy will cover, as some policies don’t cover the full cost — and any shortfall can be significant.

Some procedures are approved under the Southern Cross Affiliated Provider Scheme. Your surgeon needs to apply for this approval on your behalf, so please give them your insurance details (such as your policy number).

If your surgery and treatment are approved by ACC, you generally won’t have any additional costs to pay. That said, some patients — those covered by approved affiliated contractors — may still incur certain charges, such as prescription costs or x-ray/MRI surcharges, depending on the provider.

Health Questionnaire and Consent Forms

Before your admission, you’ll receive a folder of important pre-admission information, including a Health Questionnaire and Consent Form. This form helps our health team plan your care, and covers your personal and contact details, your health history, consent for treatment, any special needs, and payment arrangements.

The health history you provide is used to assess your health status, so it’s important to answer every question about your past and present health as fully and accurately as you can. If anything changes before your admission, please let us know straight away.

In some cases we’ll also need to arrange a preoperative assessment with one of our anaesthetists — if that applies to you, Belverdale will organise it for you.

Please return your completed Health Questionnaire & Consent form as soon as you can, and no later than fourteen (14) working days before your surgery. You can:

  • drop it in to us at Belverdale Hospital, 5 Campbell Street, Whanganui,
  • email it to reception@belverdale.co.nz (and bring the original with you on admission),
  • post it to Belverdale Hospital, 5 Campbell Street, Whanganui 4500 (please post at least 7 days before surgery to allow for any delays).

If the form isn’t returned in time, your surgery may need to be postponed — we may not have enough time to arrange any additional assessments you need.

Tests & Special Pre-surgery Preparation

If you need any pre-operative blood tests or investigations (such as urine tests or x-rays), please have these done 5–7 days before your admission.

There’s one exception: blood transfusion tests (a “Group & Hold”) must be done no more than 4 working days before your admission.

If your procedure requires bowel preparation, it’s only provided at the request of your admitting surgeon. Please collect your prep and instructions from Belverdale Hospital at least 5 days before your procedure. The instructions are tailored to you individually, and the consultation takes around 20–30 minutes.

There are a few ways to get your prep:

  • we can courier it to you on request,
  • you can arrange a date and time to collect it,
  • you’re welcome to walk in to request it once your service has made a booking request — walk-ins are available during office hours only and depend on staff being free, so please be prepared to wait 15–30 minutes for a staff member to provide your consultation.

Please note that we can’t provide bowel prep without details of your known medical conditions, current medications and allergies. These are covered in the Health Questionnaire your surgeon gives you, so please complete it and bring it with you before requesting your prep.

Medication

Please bring all your current medications with you in their original containers, along with a printout from your GP, pharmacist or chemist that lists each medication, its dosage and how often you take it. This helps your doctors make sure the right medications are continued for you.

Some medications may need to be stopped before your surgery. Please check with your surgeon or with Belverdale Hospital whether your regular medications and any natural remedies can be taken as usual, and be sure to follow their instructions.

On the day of your surgery, please take your usual morning medication with a small sip of water — unless you’ve been told otherwise.

Smoking

Stopping smoking before surgery genuinely helps, as smokers tend to experience more complications than non-smokers. Ideally it’s best to stop six weeks before your operation — but if your surgery is arranged at short notice, please avoid smoking for at least 48 hours beforehand.

No — Belverdale is a smoke-free hospital, so smoking isn’t permitted anywhere on the premises.

Yes. If you’d like support to quit, we’re happy to help arrange smoking cessation assistance — just talk to your GP before your operation, or to your nurse when you’re admitted.

Preparing For Surgery

To help keep everything safe and clean for your surgery, please:

  • shower and wash your hair before you come in.
  • skip deodorant, talc, moisturiser and other skin products on the day, unless you’ve been told otherwise.
  • avoid wearing make-up.
  • remove any rings if you’re having surgery to your shoulder, arm or hand(s), as your fingers may swell.
  • remove nail polish from your fingers and toes if you’re having a joint replacement — bacteria can grow under polish, and it can interfere with our monitoring of your blood oxygen levels.

We’re not able to confirm admission times too far in advance. You’ll receive your admission and fasting times by text message — on Friday afternoon for Monday and Tuesday cases, and no more than 48 hours ahead for cases scheduled Wednesday to Friday.

This is deliberate: it means any late changes to the surgical list don’t cause confusion or repeated changes for you at an already stressful time.

We always aim to keep the wait between your admission and going to theatre as short as possible, though occasionally there may be unavoidable delays. If that happens, we’re sorry in advance.

You’ll be told your fasting time before your surgery. It’s important that you have nothing to eat or drink for 6 hours beforehand — this includes milk, chewing gum and sweets, and you must finish eating by the fasting time you’re given.

If a light breakfast is allowed, that means 1–2 slices of toast with a light spread and a cup of tea or coffee with a little milk. Please also limit your alcohol the night before. In some cases you may be able to have water up to 3–4 hours before surgery — we’ll let you know if this applies to you.

Please bring:

  • your ‘Your Anaesthetic’ booklet, to discuss with your anaesthetist,
  • all the medications you’re currently taking, including herbal and natural remedies, in the bottles or boxes they were dispensed in,
  • your glasses, plus any physical or personal aids such as walking sticks or hearing aids.

If you’re a day-stay patient, also bring comfortable, loose clothing (you won’t need sleepwear).

If you’re staying overnight or longer, pack a small overnight bag with:

  • comfortable sleepwear, a dressing gown, and slippers or footwear,
  • personal toiletries (every room has its own ensuite),
  • comfortable daywear (optional), to help you get moving again sooner,
  • something to read or do — every room has a TV.

Please leave valuables, jewellery and other personal items at home, as Belverdale can’t take responsibility for their safekeeping.

You’re also welcome to bring:

  • your cell phone — though we may ask you to switch it off at times, as phones can affect some of the equipment we use in your care,
  • a computer or device — Wi-Fi is available.

Finally, if you have any special dietary requirements or requests, please let your nurse know when you’re admitted.

To keep you safe during your stay, we’ll ask you to confirm your name and date of birth several times. It might feel repetitive, but it’s an important way of making sure everything is exactly right for you at every step.

Just before your procedure begins, your surgeon, anaesthetist, anaesthetic technician and the theatre team will also pause for a short “time out” to complete a final check together. It’s a routine — and reassuring — part of how we look after you.