Surgical Services

This surgical service is one of the largest secondary hospital services currently in Western Australia. The surgeons provide pre and post-operative care for their patients and are contracted on a fee for service basis for inpatient care.

Access is by accredited specialist surgeons and specialist anaesthetists.

Anaesthetists are divided into two categories - fee for service and sessional, with most being fee for service.

We offer 8 surgical specialties:

  • ENT (including paediatrics)
  • General Surgery (including paediatrics)
  • Gynaecology/Obstetrics (gynae cases are cared for by the Women's & Newborn Services medical offices but cared for on Ward 6 post operation)
  • Ophthalmology (including paediatrics)
  • Orthopaedics
  • Plastics
  • Urology (including paediatrics)
  • Vascular surgery.

We also offer the medical speciality of gastroenterology (limited to procedures of gastroscopy, colonoscopy and peg insertion as well as patient assessment).

Surgical Services incorporates:

  • Ward 6
  • Central Sterilising Supply Department
  • Endoscopy Unit
  • Operating Suite and 3-stage Recovery
  • Booking Office

Services include:

  • Education
  • Employment
  • Professional Linkages
  • Anaesthetic Clinic
  • Gynaecological Clinic
  • Pre-Admission Clinic

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Service Profile

The service meets community demands with appropriate models of care, including:

  • Approximately 90% public and 10% private patients.
  • 97% of the surgery is elective from the wait list. This includes urgency categories 1 (within 30 days), 2 (semi-urgent 90 days), 3 (non-urgent 1 year). Approximately 3 % of the theatre procedures are emergency cases. Of these the majority are LUSCS.
  • 2 stomal therapists.
  • Physiotherapist 0.4 FTE surgical and 0.5 medical (located on Ward 6).
  • A social worker is currently 0.4 with bed strategy.
  • An occupational therapist is currently 0.5 with bed strategy.
  • A consultation request form needs to be written out for speech therapy, dietetics, podiatry and psychology. With GP patients no written referral is required for occupational therapy, social work or physiotherapy.

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Outpatient Services

The Gynaecology Clinic operates for extended hours every second Monday, from 8.00am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 3.30pm, and on every other Monday from 8.00am to 12.30pm.

The Anaesthetic Clinic operates every second Tuesday from 1.00pm to 4.00pm, and on every second Thursday (mornings only).

The Pre-Admission Clinic sees patients booked for surgical procedures about one week prior to surgery. Patients receive a comprehensive health assessment and education about their procedure. Pre-existing conditions and issues are identified to prevent unnecessary cancellations, enabling many patients to be admitted on the day of their operation rather than the night prior.

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Education - Inservice

In-Service education sessions on a range of clinical subjects are arranged by the staff development nurses in Surgical Services. These are held on a monthly and as needed basis and often consist of hands on workshops and seminars.

Staff are encouraged to attend both internal and external education events, and funding assistance is available on a case by case basis.

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Education - Undergraduate

The department takes undergraduate student registered nurses from Curtin, Edith Cowan and Notre Dame Universities and student enrolled nurses from TAFE.

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Professional Linkages

The Surgical Services are affiliated to relevant professional bodies:

  • Australian Council of Operating Nurses
  • Sterilising Research Education Council of Australia
  • Gastro-enterological College of Australia
  • Nurses Association for Short Stay Facilities.

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Employment

We employ clinical nurses, registered nurses, enrolled nurses, anaesthetic technician and CSSD assistants.

Permanent positions are advertised in The West Australian newspaper and on the Health Department of Western Australia Jobs website (http://www.health.wa.gov.au/jobs/).

Casual work is infrequently available. Apply to the Duty Nurse Manager at Osborne Park Hospital.

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Contact Details

Senior staff
Dr Andrew Mitchell, General Surgeon, Clinical Head of Surgical Services
Dr Simon Deehan, Clinical Head of Anaesthesia
Dr Sunil Kaushik, Clinical Head of Gastroenterology
Ms Anne MacDonald, Clinical Nurse Manager
(email: )
Address and Telephone
Surgical Services
Osborne Park Hospital
Osborne Place
STIRLING WA 6021
Telephone: (08) 9346 8000

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Last modified: 2nd January 2007.