Thread: Public Hospitals, what a joke.

Sorry to hear about Janes troubles... never a good thing to have to attend the emergency department of the GC hospital... and worse yet on a sunday when they are already at quarter staff as it is.

You may remember back last year when i went in i waited for 5hrs in the emergency ward before being looked at which included have a fistula break through my stomach while waiting and was just given some guaze to keep over it for the next couple hours.

But in there defence, once you're actually in the system i can't fault them as proved from my numerous operations including my last one which went for 8hrs and went brilliantly imho

Yep, their was a reason your wife didn't want to go to emergency

Never been for myself, been had to go heaps for others, the only quick way in is ambo........but don't get me started on them *****s, I drive me missus to hospital myself after she flaked out and had a wierd fit thing (shock) and having to convince the bloke of the situation before he'd send an amulance, after trying to negotiate with this ass for 5 mins, i told him to **** off, i'll take her myself

Don't know the Robina ED personally, Drivesafe, but big problem seems to be their communication not their timing. I would think that you've probably had about an on-par run for a Sunday. X-ray services will be limited - either on-call or one person doing the whole hospital. Triage categories 1-3 are the "Emergencies" and 4 basically means they think you could have seen a GP, while 5 means they think you shold go home and/or use a bandaid. They will literally see every 1-3 before they pick up a category 4 chart.

I once sat 2 hours in an empty waiting room (in northern NSW) where they had a policy that EVERY category 4-5 waited at least that long. At our local no-appointment private bulk-billing practice you'd wait 4 or more. And in Canada the equivalent conditions would wait 6-8 hours.

As I suggested earlier, a 1+ hour wait for xray on a Sunday at a smaller hospital isn't out of the ordinary.

But I would expect that simple courtesy would suggest that when you asked about the time they could let you know that there had been more people category 1-3 coming in the back door, and that your wait was, regrettably, about usual. And letting you (and your wife) know that xray might have been busy, and that the doctor was really just checking on where things were at rather than expecting xray to have arrived would also have helped.

I hope it all turns out to be nothing too bad - and do make sure she gets the xray and someone has a good look at it (one of the advantages of getting it taken privately is that it will be checked by an imaging specialist). I've seen some funny things which initially looked like simple sprains. Serious arthritis can be the consequence.

I waited 6hrs one night after shattering 2 fingers which where diagnosed by the nurse as "Badly Sprained" in Box Hill Public Hospital a few years ago now.

That was bad enough for me - otherwise all other experiences I have had with others have been just OK.

It is crap.

Dave

Originally Posted by scrambler

(one of the advantages of getting it taken privately is that it will be checked by an imaging specialist).

In Australia, at least - all x-ray films are reported on by a Radiologist. It just may take longer to obtain that report in a busy trauma hospital.

Sorry to hear mate, but would have to say that I my experiences with both public and private have always been good, however I do prefer private as the process can be very much quicker. We have been to Robina with Sharlea 3 mths into her pregnancy with suspected appendicitis and they were great, she was then meant to be take to Pindara by ambo but the wait for that was ridiculous so I took her instead. I will always be in Private due to some of the stories I have heard, we insure our cars but not ourselves. It could be worse, watch the doco 'Sicko" by Michael Moore, hope Jane is on the mend,

Regards

Stevo

Hi Drivesafe

As a nurse I tend to get embarrassed when I hear stories like yours. Having been a patient myslef I can also empathise and sympathise with you.
The mistake here appears to be that the triage nurse was not triaging. Triage is not a one off assessment but a continual process. Patients waiting can deteriorate or on the other hand, actually improve. I have seen patients categorised as a 3 or 4 only to have to call for the crash cart into the waiting room as they have an an event of some kind and have become a 1 or 2.
Anyone with an ounce of sense would have made sure your wife was seen when no other patients were waiting.

If you have private health cover, don't forget most private hospitals have emergency departments these days.
Hmmm wonder if I should apply for a job in A&E at this said hospital??

Too far to drive every day is the only problem.

Cheers

UD

Hmmmm.Sounds like nothing has changed then.

We had my eldest who was only 3 at the time, in at PMH Emergency department waiting room in Perth for 7 hours once, and she ran a 40+ degree temperature for most of that time!!

Any higher temperature for any longer and she could've had significant brain damage apparently.

Anyway, ER's are a place to avoid in Tas, as we spend more $$$ on upgrading football stadiums than hospitals, thanks to that peanut Lennon.

When I went in recently however with some chest pains and palpitations, I was tossed in a wheelchair and shoved through to the examination room ASAP!
(I felt for those who had been waiting a while, but as I found out later it was worth the trip to hospital as I was having Atrial fibrilation. No wonder I felt so off.)

JC