Maven Centre is located at Suite 5.3, on level 5 of Sunshine Private Hospital, which is itself at 145 Furlong Road (St Albans).
There is a commercial carpark on the ground floor of Sunshine Private Hospital, which can be entered Furlong Road.
What public transport options are there?
Sunshine Private Hospital is located at 145 Furlong Road, St Albans. It can be accessed using the following public transport routes:
- bus: catch the 408 bus, and alight at the ‘Sunshine Hospital’ stop
- train: take a train along the Sunbury line. Alight at Ginifer station, and walk (or catch the 408 bus) approximately 700m along Furlong Road to Sunshine Private Hospital
Yes. We pride ourselves on providing a safe and welcoming space for patients who use a wheelchair.
There are many factors to consider when choosing your Maven Centre clinician. For example:
- your main clinical problem, and the urgency with which you need to be seen
- the clinician’s clinical expertise and availability
To help you make this decision, please browse our clinician’s biographies on our website. You are also welcome to call and chat with our reception staff or practice manager, to discuss which clinician can best serve your needs.
Your GP is welcome to address your referral letter to “Dear Maven Centre gynaecologist”: this enables to suggest to you the most appropriate clinician for you to see.
If you do not have private health insurance, you may want to consider where each clinician operates publicly, and choose a clinician who works at a public hospital close to your place of residence.
We have the utmost respect for our GP colleagues in the community and are privileged to have some working in our practice with us.
Our GP’s are Women’s Health specialist GP’s who have undertaken further training to pursue their area of interest, and you will be well looked after in their hands.
Our specialists are on site and available to confer with our GP’s if specialist expertise is required. While you do not need a referral to see one of our Womens Health GP’s, we strongly encourage you to have a GP in the community who manages your overall health. Their contact details will be requested when you book your appointment so that our specialists can liase with them to provide you with holistic care.
As discussed above, we take care to triage each patient to the most appropriate Maven Centre gynaecologist at their first visit. Once you have had your initial consultation with your gynaecologist, you are welcome to book in for additional consultations with them using our online portal.
It saves everyone valuable time if you are able to bring to your first appointment:
- your GP referral letter
- any medications that you take regularly
- any investigation results (eg. ultrasound reports, blood test results)
- any details from previous operations (eg. operation notes, histopathology reports, laparoscopic photos, hospital discharge summary)
Doing so is extremely helpful for our team: it means that our clinicians can focus their time on optimising your ongoing care.
This will vary depending on what you have been referred to Maven Centre for. Our specialists will take a comprehensive history of your concerns. They may examine you, recommend further tests or perform procedures on the day. Please discuss this with the reception staff when making your appointment so you can allow for adequate time.
Fees for your appointment will vary depending on which specialist/subspecialist you see, if it your first or subsequent appointment and and whether you need a procedure performed during your appointment. The reception staff will be able to provide you with a list of fees. All appointments and procedures are medicare rebatable but gap payments will apply.
If you need any operation, and don’t have private health insurance, our clinicians can refer you to the appropriate public hospital, for you to have your operation performed there. All of our clinicians work at at least one public hospital. They may be able to refer you directly onto the surgical waiting list at the public hospital where they work, thereby avoiding the waiting list for a clinic appointment. Depending on the hospital, they may or may not be able to guarantee that they will be your surgeon on the day. Please discuss this with your Maven Centre clinician.
To compensate our staff for the significant paperwork involved in such public hospital referrals, an administration fee will be charged.
All of our clinicians operate at Sunshine Private Hospital. Some are also accredited to operate at alternative private hospitals (eg. Frances Perry House, Western Private Hospital, Epworth Freemasons). Should you need an operation, you are encouraged to discuss with your doctor which hospital best serves your particular needs.
Your Maven Centre clinician can advise you as to how to prepare for your operation. Advice may include the following:
- reading about what your operation involves
- fasting for six hours prior to your general anaesthetic, which means nothing to eat or drink
- coming to the ‘pre-admission’ area of Sunshine Private Hospital on the day of your operation
The outcome of your operation will be optimised if you also:
- cease smoking for four weeks prior to your operation
- cease drinking alcohol for four weeks prior to your operation
- maintain a healthy weight
- discuss your regular medications with your Maven Centre doctor, in case any of them need to be stopped or changed prior to your operation
On the day of the operation, you can expect to:
- arrive at the ‘pre-admission’ area of Sunshine Hospital at the suggested time
- fast (not have anything to eat or drink) for at least six hours prior to your general anaesthetic
- meet the nurses in the pre-admission area, who will: ask some questions about health, measure your ‘vital signs’ such as your heart rate and blood pressure; and ask you to change into a hospital gown
- meet the anaesthetist who will be anaesthetising you during your operation
- have an opportunity to ask any remaining questions you may have of your surgeon
There can be a lot of waiting around prior to your operation. It’s a good idea to bring in some forms of entertainment (eg. a laptop, iPad, some magazines or a good book). You are welcome to borrow a book from the Maven Centre library to read while you are admitted to hospital.
If you are having a so-called ‘day procedure’, you will be able to go home on the same day as your operation. It is not safe to drive after a general anaesthetic, so you will need to arrange for a friend or family member to drive you home from the hospital.
If you are not having a day procedure, you will be admitted to the surgical ward overnight for observation, pain relief and nursing support. Depending on your operation, and how your recovery goes, you may or may not be able to go home the day after your operation.
Your surgeon will give you advice about:
- how to manage your wounds
- if you need to alter your diet while recovering from your operation
- pain relief medications to take at home
Our secretarial staff will contact you to arrange a follow-up visit in our consulting rooms. At this appointment, your surgeon will:
- review your progress since the operation
- provide copies of the relevant documentation (eg. operation notes, test reports, photos from laparoscopic surgery etc)
- make a plan for your management going forwards
Prior to your initial appointment, the Maven Centre team will provide you with consent forms that relate to your care.
To access our Medical Advice Policy and Telehealth Consent online, please click the highlighted links.
