WelshSarah

I know there have been several threads re. the good and bad of the service here but after today I would like to give my opinion and experiences to anyone worried about the system over here and how to 'do' it.

This week I have struggled with an infected leg ( yuk!!) and the last few days a bad chest, cough and general tirdeness.

Anyway, got up this morning with swollen glands and very short of breath so telephoned the local surgery up the road who had no appointments but very kindly told me of a 24/7 place in Southport. Got there at 9am, gave them my medicare number and waited 10 YES ONLY 10 minutes to see a Doctor. He immediatly put me on a nebuliser, gave me an examination and decided that I should go for blood tests and also an ultrasound scan as he suspected I had DVT in my right leg!!!!

I went 50 yards for a blood test - no waiting, straight in then just around the corner to the Queensland xray where I had my scan within 15MINS!!

After waiting 15 mins for the results of the scan I then returned to the Doctor, went straight in and had the good news that it wasnt a clot

I then picked up my antibiotics and ventolin pump and was back in the house by 12.30pm!!! The only expense I incurred was $3 parking and $37 prescription fees!!

I was also told my blood results would be back TODAY and I have just been back to the Doctor this evening, waited 30 MINUTES and was told I have a chest infection and blood poisoning.


ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD.....

I spoke to my brother earlier in the week who had travelled to our local Casualty department with chest pains. After 5 1/2 hours he was seen by a doctor ( nothing wrong - go home basically) and he said goodbye to some people he knew in the waiting room who had been waiting to be seen for 10 hours!!! The blood tests taken would probably be a his GPs within 10 days!!!

I was a bit nervous before as I didnt know where or what to do if one of us got ill and how medicare works, but I now have great faith in this system here and feel a lot more comfortable than I used to in the UK.

The service and treatment I had today was second to none and the speed was incredible....

Sorry to Soapy for Chris missing the Footie match though......

Vash the Stampede

Really great to hear!

Medicare isn't the best in the world, and it's in desperate need of improvement. But it's not too shabby, and you can usually get the service you need, in a timely fashion.

Meanwhile, I can't even get a same-day appointment at my local medical centre in Walsall - unless it's an emergency. This never happened back home in Perth.

jerzo

Glad you are ok Sarah

I have heard a real mixture of opinions on the Medicare subject and i'm glad you had a good experience of it and thank god no DVT!!!

Zo x

chris and farideh

Glad everything went well for you, very lucky they didnt recommend you Gold Coast Hospital, as you could have easily be waiting for 10 hours.

Wendy&Mike

My story is similar. One Friday morning I went to the doctors because I'd been having chest pains and she immediately sent me to the RBH (Royal Brisbane Hospital). They wired me up and did blood tests. Turns out, I had had a very mild heart attack. They kept me in over weekend with constant monitoring and decided that it was serious enough that I needed an angiogram. Monday was a public holiday (Anzac day) but they went ahead anyway with the angiogram. They found I had a very constricted arterie and inserted a stent there and then. I went home the following day.

A friend of my MIL was in a similar position, waited 10 months for the angiogram, another month until his GP had the results. After that I don't know.

I'm just glad I was here when it happened.

Mike.

eve209

sorry to butt in, we hope to get our PR Visa in about 6 months do we need additional health cover on top of the medicare? and if so who are you using and what does it cost.

hope you are all feeling better today!

thanks eve