The health of our patients, visitors, and staff is our biggest priority. We have put in place a number of measures to keep our community safe while providing the highest level of care.
COVID safe measures
The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital is following Victorian Government advice and encourages all our staff and patients to stay updated via coronavirus.vic.gov.au.
Play your part and help us to prevent the spread of infection by adhering to the below guidelines:
When inside the hospital you must wear a facemask unless you have a valid, written exemption
Wash your hands often with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitiser regularly.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or the crook of your elbow.
Stay at home, get tested, and isolate if you feel unwell.
Maintain a distance of 1.5 metres between yourself and others.
Get vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as you are eligible.
Get vaccinated for flu (influenza) as soon as it is available.
What to expect when coming to the Eye and Ear
We are following Victorian Government advice on the COVID-19 pandemic and have made some updates on the way we enter and move around the hospital. All patients, visitors, and carers are to take note and adhere to the following:
Patient check-in opens 15 minutes before your appointment time. If you have arrived early, we will ask you to wait outside and re-enter later. This is to restrict the number of people in the hospital for physical distancing.
You will then be greeted by our Concierge Team who will:
ask you a few health screening questions
give you a new surgical face mask to put on
ask you to sanitise your hands.
Social distancing measures have been put in place to separate patients in waiting rooms, and visitor numbers have been reduced to allow for this.
Frequently asked questions
You will be contacted by phone, text or letter to advise you if your appointment is being postponed. A doctor will have read your health care records and assessed that this is safe to do so.
Please be assured that if we postpone your surgery you will be contacted by phone and be prioritised for a new date.
We contact you to reschedule your appointment by telephone, if you feel your condition is worsening, please email outpatients@eyeandear.org.au or call 9929 8500.
If a carer/support person is absolutely required, this is restricted to one person, unless under exceptional circumstances. As we are limiting the number of people on-site, we ask all family and friends to leave the hospital and wait elsewhere for the duration of all surgery appointments. You can return to the hospital when you receive a phone call from a staff member to advise that the patient is ready for discharge.
Visiting hours for our inpatient ward are 10am – 7pm. Currently there are visitor restrictions, patients are limited to 2 visitors at a time due to space constraints. Thank you for your understanding.
If you have questions or concerns about coming to the hospital to get your prescription refilled, contact Patient Services and Access on outpatients@eyeandear.org.au or call them on 9929 8500 to speak to an operator.
For specific queries relating to your treatment, contact Patient Services and Access on outpatients@eyeandear.org.au or call them on 9929 8500 to speak to an operator.
The Research Office will maintain our services and prioritise the work that needs to be done urgently. We will be prioritising specific projects, for example clinical trials.
