Your hospital stay

Thank you for entrusting your care to us. Our care is centred around you as a patient.
As such, we’re committed to your safety, comfort and dignity, and to care for you with compassion.

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Case management

Medical scheme patients

During your hospital stay, it’s important to inform our case managers — who are professional nurses — of any additional procedure you might have to undergo before your surgeon performs it.

To ensure that your hospitalisation costs are all covered, our case managers maintain close contact with your medical scheme or private insurer. This includes notifying them of any new procedures you may require or if you have to be transferred to a specialised unit.

Case management

Private patients

Our reception staff will update you on the status of your bill daily. Should your bill exceed your pre-payment, you may be required to make further interim payments during your hospital stay.

Please note that the hospital bill does not include any costs for services rendered by your doctor, anaesthetist, radiology and pathology practices, and other service providers such as physiotherapists. They are all independent practitioners operating for their own accounts and will bill you separately for services they render to you.

For more information regarding case management, please check with the hospital.

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We are privileged to care for you and share in the birth of your baby – one of life’s most special occasions. Our maternity staff will go above and beyond to make your baby’s birth an unforgettable experience.

Please also familiarise yourself with the general hospital stay information on our website.

Maternity patient information

Accommodation

Our modern maternity units offer various accommodation options to meet your needs, including private and semi-private en-suite rooms. We will do our best to meet your accommodation preference, however this is dependent on availability at the time of your admission.

To encourage bonding and on-demand breastfeeding, your baby will room in with you from birth, except if your or your baby’s medical condition necessitates specialised care.

Should you want your partner to room in with you for the duration of your stay, please contact the maternity staff at the hospital where you will be giving birth beforehand in this regard.

Maternity patient information

Delivery

Our hospitals are equipped with modern delivery rooms as well as theatres for caesarean deliveries. Our maternity staff will monitor your condition and that of your unborn baby closely on an ongoing basis, right up to the time that your baby is born.

Your partner, or another person of your choice, is welcome to support you throughout your labour and the birth of your baby.

Should you have opted for a natural birth and complications arise during labour or delivery, your obstetrician will determine if an emergency caesarean is necessary for the best outcome for you and your baby. A paediatrician attends to babies during caesarean births and in the event of complications during labour or birth.

Maternity patient information

Breastfeeding

Breast milk provides optimal nutritional and other health benefits to newborns. Netcare therefore supports the Mother Baby Friendly Initiative (MBFI), and we encourage natural, frequent, and on-demand breastfeeding. Our experienced maternity nurses will help you to initiate breastfeeding, and will also guide you on sustaining breastfeeding.

Through our Ncelisa human milk banks, we supply safe donor breast milk to premature and other medically vulnerable babies whose mothers are unable to provide them with breast milk. This is only done on prescription by your baby’s attending paediatrician, and with your consent.

We nevertheless respect if a mother chooses not to breastfeed and provide them with education and support on formula feeding.

Maternity patient information

Visiting

Please visit the web page of the Netcare hospital where you will be giving birth or contact the maternity unit to establish their maternity visiting times and who may visit you.

Maternity patient information

Newborn hearing screening

The earlier hearing impairments are detected and attended to, the more successful treatment and the ultimate outcome and quality of life will be for a child. All newborns at Netcare maternity units are therefore screened by an audiologist so that any hearing impairments can be identified as soon as possible after birth. This makes further testing and timeous treatment possible, always done in close cooperation with the parents.

Maternity patient information

Specialised neonatal care

All our maternity facilities incorporate neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) where paediatricians and neonatal trained nurses provide specialised care to babies who are medically at risk, such as low weight premature babies.

We provide parents of premature babies weighing less than 1.5 kilograms with a free Early Start Essentials Bag containing items tailored to the unique needs of these babies. The bags can also be purchased for premature babies weighing over 1.5 kilogram. Parents can order it online from Babies R Us, who will deliver it to the hospital for free.

We realise that it is very important and beneficial for our patients to have family members and friends
visiting and supporting them during their stay in hospital.

Visitor information

Visiting times

Note that the visiting times, restrictions and resting times may differ between hospitals and for specific wards within a hospital. We kindly request visitors not to visit patients during their official “resting period”.

Detailed information about visiting times, and the restrictions applicable in each of our hospitals, are featured on each hospital’s dedicated web page.

For more information, please look on the web page of the hospital where you are admitted, or consult the notice boards at the specific ward. You can also speak to the unit manager of the specific ward where you are staying in this regard.

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Visitor information

Visitor restrictions

  • In accordance with the regulations provided by the Department of Health for infection control purposes, we unfortunately do not allow children under 12 years to visit paediatric patients. They are also not allowed to visit patients in intensive and high care units.
  • Only two visitors at a time may visit a patient in an intensive care unit. We request that only immediate family members visit patients in ICU. Kindly obtain permission from the ICU staff to visit your loved one and comply with their recommendations regarding time spent at the patient’s bedside.
  • Due to the nature of the intensive care required by patients, visitors must please inform the staff when entering the unit. Our staff may sometimes ask visitors to leave the unit, should it be necessary to perform any nursing procedures.
  • Note that no flowers are permitted in the ICU.
  • Pets are not allowed in our hospitals.

Infection prevention
and control

All Netcare hospitals have strict measures in place to prevent cross infections — and we urge patients and visitors to please comply. We encourage patients and visitors to wash or sanitise their hands properly before and after visits to prevent the spread of infections. Please use the hand rub, which is placed strategically throughout our hospitals, on arrival and departure.

Parents and relatives of hospitalised patients with infectious conditions are requested to comply with infection control measures for their own and others’ safety.

General information

Liability for lost or stolen items

We advise patients not to bring any valuable items to hospital. Safes are available at most hospitals for the safe storage of any valuables — please ask a staff member in the ward to arrange this with security.

Netcare will not be held responsible for any losses that may occur, and as such, no claims for misplaced or lost items will be considered. However, in the unfortunate event of an item being lost, kindly report it to the unit manager immediately.

General information

Security

In the interest of the safety and security of our patients and healthcare workers, we monitor our hospitals with various types of electronic surveillance equipment. In addition, there are clearly identifiable security personnel in strategic positions throughout the hospital and hospital grounds. They are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the hospital, our patients, visitors, doctors and staff.

General information

Smoking

In accordance with South African legislation, all Netcare hospitals have adopted a clean air policy. This means that smoking is not permitted in the hospital.

If you or your visitors wish to smoke, you may only do so within the designated smoking areas.

General information

Firearms

No firearms are permitted on Netcare hospital premises.

Patients and their visitors should leave their firearms at home.

Protecting your privacy

We respect the privacy of our patients and the confidentiality of your personal and medical information.

Therefore, we won’t release information about your hospital admission, condition, or health status over the telephone to strangers.

Please arrange with your immediate relatives to share information regarding your health with friends and colleagues, if you so wish.

Medication safety

Ensuring safe medicine prescription by doctors and medicine administration by nursing staff, as well as safe medicine use by patients during their hospital stay is of key importance to us.

  • Please make sure to let your doctor and the nursing staff in the ward where you are accommodated know of all the medication that you are currently taking, including your chronic medication, over the counter medication, as well as dietary or nutritional supplements. You can either bring this medication with you and hand it in to the unit manager of the ward where you will be staying, or give the doctor and unit manager a list of the medication, with the dosage for each.
  • If you will be undergoing surgery, it is important for you to also tell the anaesthetist before the surgery what medication you are taking, as it may affect the medicine given to you during your procedure. This is especially important if you are routinely taking aspirin, Warfarin or any other blood thinning medicine. Please also tell the anaesthetist when you had stopped taking it on your doctor’s instructions, in preparation for surgery.
  • Tell your doctor, the anaesthetist, and the nursing staff of any allergies that you may have and any adverse reactions you may have had to any medication in the past.
  • If you’re having surgery, the anaesthetist may prescribe a ‘premed’ for you before you are taken to theatre. This may include pain medication, or medicine to reduce anxiety.
  • If your surgery will be done under general anaesthetic, the anaesthetist will administer this so you will be unconscious during surgery. A combination of medicines is used for this purpose. Depending on the type of procedure and your medical history, the anaesthetist may recommend conscious sedation – which is basically a lighter form of general anaesthetic – or you may have the choice of an epidural instead of general anaesthetic, for example for a caesarean section so that you are able to fully share in the birth of your baby.
  • General anaesthetic may cause you to feel lightheaded or dizzy, have an odd taste in your mouth, or your arm may feel cold or sore, but this will only last a few minutes before the anaesthetic takes effect.
  • Once the surgeon has completed the procedure, the anaesthetist will bring you back to consciousness.
  • You may experience side effects of drowsiness and nausea after surgery as a result of anaesthetic.
  • After your procedure you can expect to feel drowsy and/or nauseous. You may have a sore or dry throat that usually settles after 24 hours. These are the most common side effects of the anaesthetic.
  • Your doctor will, however, prescribe medication to assist with nausea but it will make you drowsy. Make sure that you get sufficient rest after the procedure.
  • Check that your call bell is within reach so that you can call for the nursing staff to assist you at any time.

Your doctor may prescribe some of the following medication for you while you are in hospital to help manage any pain or nausea you may experience, and keep you as comfortable as possible.


For Pain and inflammation

  • Your doctor will prescribe analgesics (pain medication) that will ease your pain. We aim to keep you pain free, so please let the nurses know if you are still in pain despite receiving pain medication. The most common side effects of analgesics are a dry mouth, nausea, constipation, and drowsiness. Please inform the nursing staff if you are feeling drowsy and require assistance to get out of bed or to use the bathroom.
  • Anti-inflammatories will assist with pain and inflammation. Some possible side effects of this medication are gastrointestinal discomfort, stomach ulcers, nausea, diarrhoea and headache.
  • Injectable medication may be administered after a procedure and may in certain instances be changed to oral medication.
For Nausea

  • After surgery, your doctor may prescribe medication that will either prevent or treat nausea and vomiting, depending on how you have responded to the anaesthetic.
  • Headaches, flushing of the skin, movement disorders, agitation and sedation are the most common side effects of medication for nausea.
  • Please ask the nurses for assistance if you are experiencing any of these side effects.
FOR INFECTION PREVENTION

  • Doctors usually prescribe antibiotics to be administered before a procedure in theatre and may continue with antibiotics for another 24 hours after your procedure to prevent infection.
  • The most common side effects are headache, diarrhoea and nausea.
  • If you experience any reactions such as a rash, swelling or excessive pain at your IV (drip) site, please let the nurses know immediately.

MyNetcare Online

MyNetcare Online is a secure portal that has been created to enable your personal healthcare management.

Using the online tools on the portal, you can provide Netcare with your relevant personal information as well as that of your dependants, update these personal profiles at any time, and conveniently do pre-admissions to a Netcare hospital when it suits you.

You can also request Netcare appointmed™ to book appointments for you or your loved ones with specialists, GPs, and dentists at Netcare hospitals, Netcare Medicross, and Netcare Akeso countrywide.

Learn more Register now