Is Private Health Worth it? - Decision is made
Feb 18th 2012, 9:06 pm
#1
(It's not my real name)
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Ilukapool. WA
Posts: 12,467
Is Private Health Worth it? - Decision is made
For many years I've paid into private health not knowing if the Hospital Cover element was worth it. Especially after my daughter had to go in as an emergency patient and got EXACTLY the same treatment as she would have done as a public patient and it cost me over a grand in excess/gap fees.
I even spent 5 nights in Joondalup as a public patient last year - amazing treatment in a great hospital, cost to me? nothing.
So when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago we decided to have the operation in the public system. Big mistake.
Don't get me wrong, her treatment and the medical professionals were/are excellent but what I hadn't bargained for was ho Royal Perth Hospital is some sort of magnet for the worst scum of WA.
When my wife could have been in a nice private room at The Mount Hospital instead she had to endure a succession of bogans, aborigines, prisoners and gangsters.
She was only in for 2 nights but she had to sit in the waiting room on 2 occasions next to women handcuffed to prison officers, people constantly fing and blinding to the staff, threatening to sue them. Being kept up all night in the ward by loud, swearing bogans who refused to leave after visiting hours and to cap it all 2 gangsters came in and threatened a guy with a knife. That was for only 2 nights!
When my friend's husband lay dying in Royal Perth she was too terrified to leave the hospital at night without security as when you leave you have to run a gauntlet of aborigines.
Anyway, the good thing about this is I have totally made up my mind about private health and any future surgeries my family has to have will be done privately.
I even spent 5 nights in Joondalup as a public patient last year - amazing treatment in a great hospital, cost to me? nothing.
So when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago we decided to have the operation in the public system. Big mistake.
Don't get me wrong, her treatment and the medical professionals were/are excellent but what I hadn't bargained for was ho Royal Perth Hospital is some sort of magnet for the worst scum of WA.
When my wife could have been in a nice private room at The Mount Hospital instead she had to endure a succession of bogans, aborigines, prisoners and gangsters.
She was only in for 2 nights but she had to sit in the waiting room on 2 occasions next to women handcuffed to prison officers, people constantly fing and blinding to the staff, threatening to sue them. Being kept up all night in the ward by loud, swearing bogans who refused to leave after visiting hours and to cap it all 2 gangsters came in and threatened a guy with a knife. That was for only 2 nights!
When my friend's husband lay dying in Royal Perth she was too terrified to leave the hospital at night without security as when you leave you have to run a gauntlet of aborigines.
Anyway, the good thing about this is I have totally made up my mind about private health and any future surgeries my family has to have will be done privately.
Feb 18th 2012, 9:37 pm
#2
Victorian Evangelist
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Melbourne, by the beach, living the dream.
Posts: 7,704
Re: Is Private Health Worth it? - Decision is made
I've just got hospital cover though, not extras.
BB
Feb 18th 2012, 10:32 pm
#3
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: at the bottom of a wine glass
Posts: 28,176
Re: Is Private Health Worth it? - Decision is made
For many years I've paid into private health not knowing if the Hospital Cover element was worth it. Especially after my daughter had to go in as an emergency patient and got EXACTLY the same treatment as she would have done as a public patient and it cost me over a grand in excess/gap fees.
I even spent 5 nights in Joondalup as a public patient last year - amazing treatment in a great hospital, cost to me? nothing.
So when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago we decided to have the operation in the public system. Big mistake.
Don't get me wrong, her treatment and the medical professionals were/are excellent but what I hadn't bargained for was ho Royal Perth Hospital is some sort of magnet for the worst scum of WA.
When my wife could have been in a nice private room at The Mount Hospital instead she had to endure a succession of bogans, aborigines, prisoners and gangsters.
She was only in for 2 nights but she had to sit in the waiting room on 2 occasions next to women handcuffed to prison officers, people constantly fing and blinding to the staff, threatening to sue them. Being kept up all night in the ward by loud, swearing bogans who refused to leave after visiting hours and to cap it all 2 gangsters came in and threatened a guy with a knife. That was for only 2 nights!
When my friend's husband lay dying in Royal Perth she was too terrified to leave the hospital at night without security as when you leave you have to run a gauntlet of aborigines.
Anyway, the good thing about this is I have totally made up my mind about private health and any future surgeries my family has to have will be done privately.
I even spent 5 nights in Joondalup as a public patient last year - amazing treatment in a great hospital, cost to me? nothing.
So when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago we decided to have the operation in the public system. Big mistake.
Don't get me wrong, her treatment and the medical professionals were/are excellent but what I hadn't bargained for was ho Royal Perth Hospital is some sort of magnet for the worst scum of WA.
When my wife could have been in a nice private room at The Mount Hospital instead she had to endure a succession of bogans, aborigines, prisoners and gangsters.
She was only in for 2 nights but she had to sit in the waiting room on 2 occasions next to women handcuffed to prison officers, people constantly fing and blinding to the staff, threatening to sue them. Being kept up all night in the ward by loud, swearing bogans who refused to leave after visiting hours and to cap it all 2 gangsters came in and threatened a guy with a knife. That was for only 2 nights!
When my friend's husband lay dying in Royal Perth she was too terrified to leave the hospital at night without security as when you leave you have to run a gauntlet of aborigines.
Anyway, the good thing about this is I have totally made up my mind about private health and any future surgeries my family has to have will be done privately.
Feb 18th 2012, 10:39 pm
#5
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Limerick-Shropshire- Perth.
Posts: 3,215
Re: Is Private Health Worth it? - Decision is made
So sorry your wife had to go through that as well as her illness.Wishing her a speedy recovery.
Feb 18th 2012, 11:19 pm
#6
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Helensburgh...the proper one in Scotland
Posts: 947
Feb 18th 2012, 11:50 pm
#8
(It's not my real name)
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Ilukapool. WA
Posts: 12,467
Feb 19th 2012, 12:01 am
#9
Proudly Deplorable
Joined: May 2003
Location: Alloha snack bar
Posts: 24,246
Re: Is Private Health Worth it? - Decision is made
For many years I've paid into private health not knowing if the Hospital Cover element was worth it. Especially after my daughter had to go in as an emergency patient and got EXACTLY the same treatment as she would have done as a public patient and it cost me over a grand in excess/gap fees.
I even spent 5 nights in Joondalup as a public patient last year - amazing treatment in a great hospital, cost to me? nothing.
So when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago we decided to have the operation in the public system. Big mistake.
Don't get me wrong, her treatment and the medical professionals were/are excellent but what I hadn't bargained for was ho Royal Perth Hospital is some sort of magnet for the worst scum of WA.
When my wife could have been in a nice private room at The Mount Hospital instead she had to endure a succession of bogans, aborigines, prisoners and gangsters.
She was only in for 2 nights but she had to sit in the waiting room on 2 occasions next to women handcuffed to prison officers, people constantly fing and blinding to the staff, threatening to sue them. Being kept up all night in the ward by loud, swearing bogans who refused to leave after visiting hours and to cap it all 2 gangsters came in and threatened a guy with a knife. That was for only 2 nights!
When my friend's husband lay dying in Royal Perth she was too terrified to leave the hospital at night without security as when you leave you have to run a gauntlet of aborigines.
Anyway, the good thing about this is I have totally made up my mind about private health and any future surgeries my family has to have will be done privately.
I even spent 5 nights in Joondalup as a public patient last year - amazing treatment in a great hospital, cost to me? nothing.
So when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago we decided to have the operation in the public system. Big mistake.
Don't get me wrong, her treatment and the medical professionals were/are excellent but what I hadn't bargained for was ho Royal Perth Hospital is some sort of magnet for the worst scum of WA.
When my wife could have been in a nice private room at The Mount Hospital instead she had to endure a succession of bogans, aborigines, prisoners and gangsters.
She was only in for 2 nights but she had to sit in the waiting room on 2 occasions next to women handcuffed to prison officers, people constantly fing and blinding to the staff, threatening to sue them. Being kept up all night in the ward by loud, swearing bogans who refused to leave after visiting hours and to cap it all 2 gangsters came in and threatened a guy with a knife. That was for only 2 nights!
When my friend's husband lay dying in Royal Perth she was too terrified to leave the hospital at night without security as when you leave you have to run a gauntlet of aborigines.
Anyway, the good thing about this is I have totally made up my mind about private health and any future surgeries my family has to have will be done privately.
Hope your wife makes a speedy recovery. I also had a spell in RPH and the treatment I received was first-rate.
Feb 19th 2012, 12:41 am
#11
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: Is Private Health Worth it? - Decision is made
At the end of the day whether you go private or public is a lottery, you get good and bad everywhere.
Feb 19th 2012, 12:52 am
#12
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,814
Re: Is Private Health Worth it? - Decision is made
And it may come as a shock to some people but some Aborigines do uyse the private health system. I have a very good friend whose family always go private, they don't consider themselves to be any different from any other Australians.
Feb 19th 2012, 12:57 am
#13
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: Is Private Health Worth it? - Decision is made
Is that even allowed ? (Where is the heavy sarcasm emoticon ?)
Feb 19th 2012, 1:00 am
#14
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,814
) it IS allowed 
Feb 19th 2012, 1:46 am
#15
(It's not my real name)
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Ilukapool. WA
Posts: 12,467