Having a Baby at St George Private Hospital

Having a Baby
at St George Private
Hospital
                            Patient
                       Information

Welcome to St George
Private Hospital
St George Private Hospital is owned by Ramsay Health Care, Australia’s leading private
hospital operator. St George Private Hospital is considered to be one of the most modern, high
technology private hospitals in Australasia. The hospital, located in Kogarah, approximately 20
minutes from Sydney Airport and 30 minutes from Sydney City, serves the diverse population of
Sydney’s southern suburbs and is adjacent to St George Public Hospital - one of Sydney’s major
university teaching hospitals.
Architecturally designed, with highly skilled and committed staff, the 236 bed facility offers
a full range of services and can be considered as one of the best facilities in Sydney, providing
exceptional care and peace of mind for patients and their families.
We strive to provide a positive experience for all our patients making every effort to ensure
your stay with us is as comfortable as possible through the highly skilled expertise of its Medical,
Nursing and Midwifery Staff, state-of the art equipment and a full range of inpatient and day
patient services all located on site for the ease of our patients.
In recognition of our commitment to excellence in quality patient care and customer service, the
Hospital has Certification with International Standards Organisation (ISO) 9001:2008 - Quality
Management Systems and the Core Standards for Safety and Quality in Healthcare.
Working in partnership with some of Australia’s leading medical specialists, the Hospital has
developed a strong reputation in:
•   Obstetrics & Gynaecology
•   Cardiac Services
•   Neurosurgery
•   Cancer Care
•   Orthopaedics & Spinal Care
•   General Surgery
•   Colorectal Services
•   Urology
On behalf of all our staff, we extend a warm welcome and thank you for selecting St George
Private Hospital. Your care and comfort are our primary concern and we are pleased to provide
you with important information on our services.
We invite you to take a few minutes to read this information booklet. Please do not
hesitate to contact any member of our staff should you have any questions or require any
further information.

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Important Telephone Numbers:
Maternity Bookings: (02) 9598 5172
Birth and Parenting Education Bookings: (02) 9598 5172
Delivery Suite: (02) 9598 5395
Website: www.stgeorgeprivate.com.au

Maternity Visiting Hours:
3.00pm-5.00pm
7.00pm-8.00pm
Rest period 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Partners are welcome anytime.
Visitors are recognised as an important part of sharing the joy of the birth of your new baby.
Please encourage visitors to attend within the visiting hours so that new mum’s are able to
attend classes and rest as much as possible.
We ask that any visitors who are unwell, or suffering from coughs, colds, gastro type illness or
known infectious diseases, should not come into the Maternity Ward to reduce the risk of spread
of infection to mothers and babies.

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The Maternity Services Unit
The Maternity Services Unit at St George Private Hospital demonstrates a leading and innovative
approach to outcome-focused care for women and their families during childbirth. St George Private
Hospital has been caring for mothers and babies since 1995. Our Maternity services have been
developed to provide flexibility and choice with a focus on you and your baby’s individualised care.
The Maternity Unit offers an extensive range of Birth and Parenting education programs, each
specifically designed to cater for your individual needs and aim to prepare you for the birth of
your child and adjustments to family life.
St George Private Hospital’s Maternity Services Team is comprised of the birthing and parenting
educators, delivery suite midwives, postnatal midwives, lactation specialists, endorsed enrolled
nurses, mothercraft nurses, assistants in nursing, reception staff and staff trained in neonatal
care. This experienced team is committed to delivering a quality standard of care to provide the
finest birthing and parenting experience possible.
At St George Private Hospital we work closely with your obstetrician and paediatrician to ensure
your care is of the highest standard. Our purpose designed maternity unit on level 3 offers
parents an environment that relaxes and reassures, and also offers the security of a level 2
Special Care Nursery should the need arise.

The Maternity Unit comprises of:
• Spacious birthing suites each with en suite bath, shower and toilet
• Well appointed private maternity rooms, with custom designed breastfeeding chairs, en suite
  bathroom, remote controlled TV, refrigerator, sofa bed so that dad’s can stay (fees apply)
• Level 2 special care nursery cots for babies who need extra care
• Lounge for parents and visitors
• Education room for postnatal education classes
Our maternity unit is supported by facilitates such as ultrasound and pathology services and 24
hour anaesthetic cover.

Also available
• Wireless internet
• Internet kiosk
• Cord blood donation

The Hospital Licence approves St George Private Hospital to provide Maternity Services to admit
mothers that are >32weeks gestation and of low to moderate risk. The Hospital is not able to
provide Maternity Services to mothers of

Film equipment in birth suite and operating theatre
Ramsay Health Care recognises that unique and special moments arise in hospital that patients,
families and friends may wish to capture on film. St George Private Hospital needs to ensure
that patient safety, clinical teamwork, the privacy of other patient, staff members and medical
personnel is not compromised. Devices that record both film and sound are not allowed in the
operating suite, birth suites or special care nursery.
Single shot devices that do not record sound are permissible by agreement of the care team
members present at the time.
Film and sound may be recorded in the privacy of a patient’s own room, provided the privacy of
other patients and staff members is not compromised.

Cord Blood Donation
St George Private Hospital Maternity Unit is a proud supporter of the collection of Cord Blood
by Sydney Cord Blood Bank. Any healthy mother aged between 18 and 45 years who is willing to
answer some personal and family medical questions and give two samples of blood (one soon
after the birth of your baby and the other six months later) is able to donate.
For more information contact the Sydney Cord Blood Bank on (02) 9382 0371 or visit
www.scbb.com.au.

Preparing for your admission &
birth of your baby
Prior to your admission to St George Private Hospital there are a number of issues that may
require your attention we therefore ask that you consider:

Online Maternity Booking
After your first appointment with your Obstetrician please go to our website www.
stgeorgeprivate.com.au to complete your online booking. Once your online booking is complete
you will receive an automated email to confirm that your online registration has been received.
Once you have completed all the booking requirements, should any details change, please notify
us immediately.
For any queries regarding Maternity bookings please email our maternity bookings officer at
Bookings.SGP@ramsayhealth.com.au

Online Maternity History
To ensure we have your current medical, surgical, obstetric and family history we require you to
complete your online maternity history as part of you online maternity booking.

Private Health Insurance
St George Private Hospital has negotiated agreements with all major health funds to ensure
hospital charges are paid by the relevant fund. An excess or co-payment may form part of your
contract with your health fund.

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We strongly recommend that you contact your health fund to confirm the level of your private
health insurance cover if there is any policy excess, or co payments whether your baby is covered
if admitted to Special Care Nursery.

Birth & Parenting Education Program
All parents who are booked to have their baby at St George Private Hospital are offered the
opportunity to attend birth and parenting sessions, run by accredited Midwives. All sessions are
based on adult education principles, and as a result we keep session sizes small.
Sessions include: Birth and Parenting, Breastfeeding, Relaxation and Comfort techniques for
birth, and a Grandparents information evening.
Sessions are held most nights of the week and Saturdays.
Due to the popularity it is recommended that you book all sessions by 14 weeks of pregnancy,
and then commence sessions at approximately 28 – 32 weeks of pregnancy. Please ensure you
complete the course you have selected at around 34-36 weeks. This will ensure you will be in a
class with women due around the same time.
Some health funds cover the total cost of sessions, others provide some or no rebate. Please
be aware that some health funds do not offer a rebate for midwife based education. You
will be provided with a certificate of attendance at the completion of your sessions to take
to your health fund. Please ask your individual health fund for information on your personal
circumstances.
Please choose carefully from the options provided before booking, you may attend as many of
the options as you choose.
Dates for classes are available on our website www.stgeorgeprivate.com.au
For any queries about classes MatClasses.SGP@ramsayhealth.com.au
or call us on (02) 9598 5172.

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Fees & Charges
During your stay at St George Private Hospital you will be charged by the hospital for Delivery
Suite, and /or Theatre, accommodation and partner fees if your partners stays overnight.
The Obstetrician and Paediatrician’s fees are calculated on the Australian Medical Association
guidelines and are negotiated between you and your doctor directly. Doctor’s fees, allied health
and diagnostic services are billed separately by the provider. You may receive separate accounts for:
•   Pharmacy
•   Physiotherapy
•   Pathology
•   Radiology
•   Assistant surgeon
•   Anaesthetist
•   Other consultants

If You Are Not Privately Insured
If you are not privately insured, you will be asked to pay the estimated cost of hospitalisation
prior to admission. It is therefore necessary to contact our Maternity Bookings for an estimate of
fees and charges prior to your admission date. Should you have any queries relating to accounts,
please contact the hospital on 02 9598 5172.

Anaesthetic Fees for Maternity Services
Should you require epidural analgesia, a spinal or general anaesthetic, the anaesthetic fees
will be calculated in accordance with the guidelines recommended by the Australian Medical
Association and the Australian Society of Anaesthetists.
These fees are substantially higher than the rebate recommended by the Medicare benefits
schedule. Factors such as degree of difficulty, time of day, duration of service, travel time and
urgency are all taken into account. Fees will vary between practitioners but in most cases will be
at a level recognised by accepted community standards. Ask your Obstetrician for further details.

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What to Bring for Your Stay
in the Maternity Ward
•   Your Antenatal card
•   Any letter(s) from your doctor
•   All medications that you are currently taking
•   Your Medicare card and Private Health Fund details.
•   Your consent form, if you are having a booked elective caesarean section.
•   Comfortable clothes for day wear.
•   Sleep wear (front opening)– dressing gown and slippers.
•   Maternity bras
•   Personal toiletries
•   Personal items – maternity pads and breast pads
•   Hair dryer
•   Clothes for baby to wear home (we provide clothes and nappies during your stay)
Valuables
We encourage you to leave anything of value, such as jewellery, at home. St George Private
Hospital is unable to accept responsibility for the loss of valuables or money.

Mobile phones
Mobile phones can interfere with electronic medical equipment. For the comfort of other
patients we ask that mobile phones not be used in corridors or reception areas.

What to Bring to Hospital for Delivery Suite
•   Your Antenatal card
•   Lip balm
•   Camera and charger
•   List of people to call
•   Water spray
•   Massage oil
•   Toiletries
•   Socks
•   Tennis ball, or massage tool
•   Sweets to suck on

What to Take in the Car
• A towel in case your waters break
• A paper bag in case of sickness

What Not to Bring in
We suggest that you do not bring in large amounts of money, or valuables.

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When to Come to Hospital
Please contact the Delivery Suite if you have any concerns or worries. Our telephone is answered
by midwives 24 hours a day, every day of the year. We are also in 24 hour contact with your
obstetrician. It is very important to contact the Delivery Suite if any of the following occurs;
•   Your waters break or you notice continuous leaking of fluid from the vagina
•   If you have vaginal bleeding
•   Onset of contractions before 37 weeks
•   Onset of regular contractions after 37 weeks that remain persistent or change in frequency
    or intensity.
•   If you are concerned about the movement of your baby.
•   If you feel unwell.
•   If you have any concerns regarding your pregnancy or onset of labour.
•   If you feel concerned or anxious.

How to Contact the Delivery Suite
Prior to coming to the hospital please ensure that you telephone the midwives in the delivery
suite to notify them of your imminent arrival. Phone number: (02)9598 5395
Please do not give the Delivery Suite telephone number to your friends or family as it is for
patients and doctors only.
Admittance to St George Private Hospital can be gained by using the main entrance of the
hospital. To ensure the safety of all patients and staff the hospital doors are locked overnight. A
security guard is on duty who will open the doors for you.

Support People During Labour
Please advise your friends and family that no visiting is allowed whilst you are in the Delivery
Suite. You may elect to have up to two support people with you during labour (your partner and
one other). Please note that these two support people are not interchangeable during labour.
Visitors are encouraged to wait until the next session of visiting hours.

Support People During a
Caesarean Section
If you are having an elective (planned) caesarean section with an epidural, you will most likely
be able to have one support person. However, this decision is dependent on your Doctor and the
Anaesthetist. It is important for you to ask when you are planning your caesarean section.

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Monitoring your baby
To assist us to provide optimum care of your baby during labour and birth it is important that
your baby’s heart rate is monitored. Depending on the situation there are different ways that
this can be done:
• Using a small portable ultrasound (Doppler)
• Using a machine called a CTG (cardiotocograph). The baby’s heart rate and your contractions
  are monitored electronically
• An electrode can be placed directly on the baby’s head to record the heart rate (this is only
  occasionally used when it is difficult to record the heart rate using the two methods outlined
  above)
At all Ramsay Health Care maternity facilities a CTG performed on admission. The CTG is
repeated intermittently throughout your labour unless there are indications for continual CTG
monitoring.
Please note: if you have any questions in relation to this practice contact your obstetrician or the
maternity unit manager.

If you choose to have a birth plan
Some people choose to have a birth plan. They see it as an opportunity to write down any
thoughts or wishes they have about their labour and/or stay in hospital.
It is very important that you discuss your plan with your obstetrician and midwifery staff. This
will give us an opportunity to let you know what we have available to meet your wishes and
what is safe and practical according to your individual circumstances.
You will need to be flexible and be prepared to do things differently if complications arise for
you or your baby. Childbirth is not always “normal” and intervention may be required under
certain circumstances.
If intervention is required your obstetrician/midwife will explain why the intervention is
necessary and the associated risks and benefits of the intervention.
If you have any questions in relation to this information please do not hesitate to contact your
obstetrician and the maternity unit manager.

Parking
There is limited on-site underground parking, for which a fee is payable. Parking fees are
displayed at the entrance to the car park. Tickets may be paid at the ticket machine located in
the car park or by credit card at the exit boom gates. Alternatively, there is two-hour limited
street parking around the hospital or other parking facilities within easy walking distance to
the hospital.

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Postnatal Care – Caring for You &
Your Baby
During your stay you will be guided by our midwives in baby bathing and settling techniques.
Midwives will assist and support you in establishing the feeding method of your choice for your
baby. Extra support is also provided by the lactation specialist.
We recognise that your family and friends are very excited about the new arrival and they
provide valuable support for you and your partner. Our visiting hours are between 3-5pm,
and 7-8pm.
This enables you to rest, attend education classes and establish feeding.
Rest period 1.00pm - 3.00pm. Siblings are not permitted in the ward during rest period.

During your stay we offer postnatal education comprising:
• Postnatal breastfeeding group conducted by a lactation specialist
• Sleep and Settling talk

Special Care Nursery
St George Private Hospital provides you with the reassurance that should your baby require
intensive care support, a specially equipped Special Care Nursery is available. In the event of
a baby being born prematurely or very ill, transfer to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit can be
affected without delay. Please contact your health fund provider to confirm your level of cover
for your baby if the Special Care Nursery is required during your admission.

On the Day of Discharge From Hospital
When leaving St George Private Hospital, we ask that you vacate your room by 10am. Discharge
day for a vaginal birth follows the fourth night; for a caesarean section birth following the
fifth night.

Your Rights
 Please refer to our website www.stgeorgeprivate.com.au

Compliments, Concerns & Complaints
You have a right to courteous and professional care and service. If you experience care or service
which is less than you expect, we want to know. Please tell a staff member or request to see the
Obstetric Manager, even if you think it’s trivial. You are not bothering us – that’s what we’re here
for! We welcome the opportunity to address your concerns and it is almost always in our power
to do so.

Patient Comment Cards
A Patient Comment Card is located by your bed. We encourage you to tell us about your experience.
Your name is optional and all cards are reviewed by the CEO and Director of Clinical Services.

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We meet regularly to review your comments, both positive and negative, and are always working
to improve our service and care.

Complaints
If you wish to make a complaint, there are several options. We would prefer to help while you
are in hospital. Discuss your concerns with the Obstetric Manager ext 5055

Other avenues include:
• Write to the CEO or Director of Clinical Services. St George Private Hospital, 1 South Street
  Kogarah NSW 2217. All complaints received in writing receive a response within seven days.
• The Health Care Complaints Commission. Free call 1800 043 159 in NSW, or Locked Mail Bag 18,
  Strawberry Hills NSW 2012

Privacy Policy
Please refer to information on our website www.stgeorgeprivate.com.au

How to find us
St George Private Hospital
1 South Street, Kogarah NSW 2217
Phone: 02 9598 5555 Fax: 02 9598 5000
The Hospital is located on the corner of Princes Highway and South Street in Kogarah NSW.
Only a short walk from Kogarah Town Centre, the hospital is easily accessible by Public Transport
(Train/Bus/Taxi). The Hospital does have some customer parking and charges do apply.
Additional parking can be found within easy walking distance to the hospital in the local area.
                                                            S HWY
                                                          PRINCE

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Notes

12   St George Private Hospital – Childbirth is our passion!

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St George Private Hospital
            1 South Street
         Kogarah NSW 2217
Phone: 02 9598 5555 Fax: 02 9598 5000
   www.stgeorgeprivate.com.au