FAQs
Q1. Where do I go when I arrive at the RGH or Ashford Hospital?
Q2. What do I bring?
Q3. What medications should I bring?
Q4. What happens on the night of the study?
Q5. What happens after the test?
Q6. What will it cost to see a specialist and/or have a sleep study?
Q7. How do I get an appointment?
Q1. Where do I go when I arrive at the RGH or Ashford Hospital?
RGH
If you are driving, parking is available in the Outpatient car park, which in the evening, is accessible via the main entrance on Daws Road. Please report at the Admission and Discharge Centre. A sleep technician will be notified of your arrival and will escort you to the sleep laboratory.
Ashford
Parking is available in the Ashford Hospital car park on Everard Avenue at a rate of $10 per night. Please report to the Admissions desk. Follow admission you will be collected by a sleep technician and shown to your room.
Q2. What do I bring?
We recommend you bring your Medicare Card, Private Health Insurance card or Health Care Card (if applicable), nightwear, toiletries, your current medications, CPAP mask (if you use one) and your own pillow if you wish. Other items such as a book to read are quite acceptable also.
Q3. What medications should I bring?
Please bring any medications that you would normally take at night or first thing in the morning.
Q4. What happens on the night of the study?
A technician/nurse will connect some monitoring equipment to you in order to make measurements of your sleep quality, breathing patterns and body movement. They will explain exactly what they are doing. Please note that none of the procedures are painful in any way.
Q5. What happens after the test?
The sleep test ends at approximately 6.30 AM the following morning and you should be able to leave by 7.00 AM. A continental breakfast can be provided, upon request.
The results of the test will be sent to the specialist who requested it, and will be discussed with you at your next appointment.
Q6. What will it cost to see a specialist and/or have a sleep study?
This depends on whether you have private health insurance or not or if you are a veteran.
Veterans' Costs
There is no charge for Veterans having an overnight or daytime study at the RGH.
No private health insurance
Overnight Studies: The out of pocket expense for a public patient having an overnight sleep study at the RGH is $75. For patients with a health care card the out of pocket expense is $25. Patients having a follow up appointment in the RGH Outpatients department either prior or after their overnight sleep study are bulk billed with no out of pocket expenses.
Daytime Studies: All patients having a daytime study are public patients. The out of pocket expenses vary depending on the type of study. Patients having an MWT (Maintenance Wakefulness Tests) or a MSLT (Multiple Sleep Latency Tests) will have an out of pocket expense of $40 or $10 for concession card holders. Patients having a home autotitration CPAP study will have an out of pocket expense of $36 or $10 for concession card holders.
Paediatric studies for children between the ages of 12 and 18 will have an out of pocket expense of $50. Children under the age of 12 are reviewed at the Women's and Children's Hospital.
Private Patient Costs
Patients with private health insurance having an overnight sleep study at the Ashford Hospital will not have an out of pocket expense, however they will need to pay their excess amount (predetermined by their private health insurer) on the night of their sleep study. Patients having a follow up appointment at the Ashford Specialist Centre either prior or after their overnight sleep study will have an out of pocket expense of $20.00 for initial appointments and $10.00 for subsequent appointments.
Q7. How do I get an appointment?
A referral is required from either your General Practitioner (GP) or your Specialist. On receipt of the referral a letter is sent out informing you that you have been placed on a waiting list. You will be contacted as soon as an appointment becomes available. For further information on how to make an appointment call our Administration team on 8275 1187.