Thread: Gloomy news on the Health Front

Not good John.
A business friend of mine in Dubbo apologised for not getting back to me quickly today as she had a specialists appointment she's been waiting three months for.
Sounds like Jenn was very lucky she got anyone at all.

That sounds dire. I didn't realise medical service was quite so bad outside of the city.

Glad the health gloom is not yours.

...and our little town is about to lose it's GP who is moving soon.
The nearest medical practice is 40km away, but they are so run off their feet and therefore the care isn't what it should be so my SO travels 100km just to see a doctor.

Luckily the only time I've needed anything medical in the last eight years I caught the doctor doing his rounds at the Hospital early in the morning. (looks like I'm not too tolerant of bee stings these days)

To put a personal aspect on it - I saw the doctor today. The medical practice I attend I ended up with when my GP, who had his own practice, moved into this large clinic several years ago. About a year ago he moved away. I eventually found a good doctor among the other ones. I found out today he has moved to Sydney. This clinic does not have appointments, so I had to wait a bit over an hour to see the first available doctor, whose grasp of English seemed rather tenuous. But I wanted to see a doctor about three problems - sore eye, waxed up ears and a cracked heel. She said I had to deal with one problem only per session, but since I was from out of town she would do two, so I chose my sight and hearing. I can hear a bit better now and have an antibiotic for the conjunctivitis. I would like to change to a doctor where I could get an appointment to see the same doctor each time, preferably without a long wait, but there seems to be no choice.

Of course, one of the effects of the other practice closing will be that people who can't see a GP will turn up at casualty at the base hospital. This is the place where the nurses have been borrowing supplies from a local vet and where doctors have been paying for medication out of their own pockets, and where secretaries have been buying printing paper out of their own pockets so they can do their job. This is the area health service that was serving vegetarian meals to hospital patients in Gilgandra because the local butcher refused to supply any more meat until he got paid for invoices owing for nearly a year. Can you imagine how they will cope with an influx of additional patients who cannot see a GP?

John

Thats shocking, you hear on the news that the health service is in a sorry state

but thats plain bad...John have you thought of mailing this post to all the

currant affiers programs, its amazing what a bit of publicity can do.

I'll never moan again about haveing to pay 50 bucks to see my GP norramally

get in withen 2-3 days and you can see him for more than 3 things at the

same time

T

Evening all,
what a topic something i would love to talk about for hours if time permitted.
NSW Rural Health, what a joke it is, ex party hacks as CEO's of the area health services, at least the one up here is. Anytime there is a problem with the area health service his name always pops up usually as the architect of the problem.

But at least we had lots of gp's and medical centres but they too are stretched.

My sympathies JD, is this how our aging( not you ) population is being served. Is it because the medico's want a greater earn or is it because the area health services make it very difficult for them to operate efficiently. It would be interesting to know the answer.
I don't think in Dubbo's case not getting a DA approved is the reason.

good luck and try to stay healthy.


john

That's really a sad reflection on the state of health in NSW, whilst Dubbo is west of 'the divide', I'm not really sure that it qualifies as a country town nowadays. I thought it was the biggest city in NSW west of the mountains with a population that's got to be approaching 30 thousand.


Martyn

Well, thankfully, and after your headline, I was concerned for you, I was worried about your health, not the system.

Yet as so often, you always think of others.

Your doctors are probably here, we have so many on this eastern coastal strip, all seeking an easy life in a subtropical paradise.

You know where I live, a village of 5,000 people, and about 15 doctors in GP, and more inside the numerous aged care facilities.

The service isn't any better than where you are, tho'...
if it is any consolation....

nearly lost my 16YO daughter, until a fourth opin from Melb realised the cold hard light of day....