Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) | Lakes

If you have an urgent problem requiring immediate surgical assessment you are referred acutely to the ORL Department where you will initially be seen by the specialist who will decide whether you need to be admitted to hospital.  Investigations will be performed as required.

If the problem is not urgent, the GP will write a letter to the ORL Department requesting an appointment in the outpatient clinic.  One of the consultant surgeons working in the Department reviews the referral letters to determine who should be seen first, based on the information provided by the GP.  Very urgent cases are usually seen within a couple of weeks, but other cases may have to wait a much longer time.  

When you come to the ORL Outpatient Department you will be seen by a member of the ORL team who will ask questions about your illness and examine you to try to determine or confirm the diagnosis.  This process may also require a number of tests (e.g., blood tests, x-rays, scans, etc).  Sometimes this can all be done during one clinic visit, but for some conditions this will take several follow-up appointments.  Occasionally some tests are arranged even before you are seen at the hospital to try to speed up the process.

Once a diagnosis has been made, the medical staff will discuss the treatment with you.  In some instances this will mean surgery, while other cases can be managed with medication and advice.  If surgery is advised you will be put on the elective surgical waiting list.  Again these waiting lists are ordered according to the urgency and severity of the condition.  The steps involved in the surgical process and the likely outcome are usually discussed with you at this time.

In order to minimise the amount of time that you have to spend in hospital, many surgical departments run a preadmission process.  This is usually done through a clinic where you are seen prior to hospital admission.  The aim of this clinic is to confirm that you still need to have the planned surgery and that you are currently fit and well enough to undergo the operation. 

New Zealand citizens or those who have obtained permanent residence are entitled to publicly funded health care.

Non-residents may be required to pay for their health care.

Click here to read more about eligibility for funded care at Te Whatu Ora Lakes 

Click here to find your nearest community pharmacy.

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