obah

I was wondering what the quality of the health service (both public and private) was in New Zealand. I talked to three people last week; they all had been NZ residents in the past, before moving to Australia (2) and Canada (the third one). Without knowing each other, they all had complaints about the system and, especially, the (as per one guy's own words) "slightly sub-standard quality of the medical personnel" in New Zealand. They all said that the Australian/Canadian system is better, not in terms of waiting lists or costs -- but simply in terms of perceived professionalism/competency. I was quite amazed to hear this and, well, shaken (but not stirred...), because I'm currently toying with the idea of setting base in New Zealand in the not-so-distant future.

Anyone care to comment? Personal, first-hand experiences would be welcome.

Cheers.

Jude J

Hello.
Well, this is me speaking on behalf of my habby who has a long term condition (diagnosed since we moved here). He sees a consultant every 2/3 months, the appointment is made well in advance by the hospital. If he needs to bring it forward it is virtually impossible without him first seeing his GP and if GP cant help he will move the app. forward. That is one side that he isn't happy with. Other than that, as soon as it was diagnosed he was referred to the specialsts without much delay (the illness isn't life threatening) and in his opinion they have all been fine, he has no complaints so far! The only thing that almost had us thinking that we would have to move country for is one type of medication isn't gov. funded here and it costs a fortune ($25,000 a year!) but as it happened he tried it and it didn't work for him.

Other than that the only other time my family has needed to use the health system was when my daughters friend died and she suffered with bad depression. I was more than pleased with the help she got, the staff were very professional and efficient.
There are loads of medical professionals that post on here so I hope they come and give their views!

Alex

Hi
We moved here 10 months ago,with my OH job,and thus have medical insurance. I recently had a "scare" after an examination. I am so impressed with the service and considering that I worked as a radiographer in the health service in the UK I am hard to impress...however biopsy results were quickly returned, and I really felt "looked after." The consultant was very proffessional and approachable (and from the UK) and everything was clearly explained.
I would urge you to get medical insurance though it really is worth the peace of mind.
Hope this helps

Nice Guy

I have to say that being on the other side of the sheets was, from the patient’s point of view jolly good.

I had a STEMI (ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction) with 80% occlusion of some cardiac arteries. It was by all accounts pretty nasty and I suppose upon reflection I could have carked it. I was also discovered to have type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

I was in CCU for a couple of days whilst my endocarditis settled down then moved to another hospital for insertion of Stents, a sort of scaffolding to keep the coronaries patent.

All of the care I received during and after my event was superb, first class, I simply cannot speak highly of it and I would have no hesitation to say I felt safe in their hands.

I have to take a multitude of tablets all with a high % of lowering the one’s sexual drive, but there is life in the old bugger yet…………….

Having been a health care professional for over 30 years (allegedly) I summarise by saying NZ’s health care is first rate and word class.

Littletoe

It probably varies greatly, I lived in Darwin, Australia and they used to say, 'If you don't want to die, fly.' The healthcare was dreadful. I personally found the healthcare in NZ amazing. I've been so happy with the treatment myself and my family have received. And lets be honest, the NHS is like third world healthcare. I've found the hospitals in NZ, clean, the staff are qualified and speak English and there are beds. So already a vast improvement on the healthcare in the UK. I heard there was a case of MRSA in one hospital (can't remember where) and it was closed down. It was probably us Brits that took it over anyway! The children's hospital in Auckland is second to none, its one of the things that prompts us to go back actually. When a heart problem was detected in NZ (which they'd missed in Darwin) with my baby daughter, we were referred to this wonderful hospital and received excellent and thorough care. I was also admitted into hospital twice and I received attentitive care. Again, much unlike the UK.

mazi

My experience is not so good. I had a stomach ulcer while in NZ and it took me about 9 months to convince the doctor (who was wearing SHORTS) there was anything wrong with me at all. I was burping and throwing up approximately every 5 minutes (obviously this got worse over the 9 month period - at the start it wasn't every 5 minutes) and he said "You're cheeks look rosy to me, you're fine" and "Come back and see me next week if you still think you're ill" (read: "Come and give me another $50 next week, I have a family of 9 kids, see them on the wall?"). So, off I trapsed back and forth (it wasn't as easy as just changing doctors, they get very funny about that in NZ) explaining that I could pin-point the exact spot where the problem was and that on some days I could feel it through my skin. I also fainted a few times (vago vasal apparently). Finally, after I lost two stone in three weeks ( liked that bit), he said "Ok I'll send you for an ultrasound" (of my womb!) which cost $300 (funny that, there was nothing wrong with my womb), then it was a chest X-ray (he was oh-so-kind and sent me to a private specialist he knew so I could get it done within a week - cost $1000). Guess what? Nothing wrong with my chest either! Then it was off to a gastro-specialist, also someone he knew (seeing a pattern here?), at a cost of $300 a time (I think I saw him 3 or 4 times) and they finally, at our insistence, did an endoscopy. Guess what???? I had a stomach ulcer in exactly the place I had been pinpointing for the last 9 months or so. The ulcer was in the place where the intestine joins the stomach and had ulcerated so much it was impossible for food to pass through the stomach to the intestine (hence the throwing up and the two stone weight loss in 3 weeks). So, finally, I was put on 16 tablets a day and started to get a bit better. I still couldn't eat very well for a few months but certainly I was better than before. A woman I worked with remarked that I was looking a bit better and she asked what the problem had been. When I told her she burst into tears (of relief and joy with a bit of laughing thrown in ) and said "Oh, thank goodness, you looked so ill I thought you were dying of leukaemia". Rosy cheeks my a**e.

Anyway, I continued the tablets for a good year and when I returned to Europe on a 'check we want to leave NZ' trip I was off the tablets within two days. When we returned to NZ I was back on them in a week or so. Before we left I had asked my doctor for my medical notes so I could show them to my doctor in England and he, at first, wouldn't give them to me. he finally relented (to shut me up I think) and then photocopied them for me - missing out the vital pages about the finding of the stomach ulcer. Luckily, my trust in him had been eroded by then and I looked through every page of notes and realised he had missed some out so went back for them. It was not easy to convince him he had made an 'error' but I got the relevant pages eventually.

After our trip to Europe I had cause to go to the doctor again as I was getting mild pains in my chest (I've had TB so I get worried about my chest if i feel anything even slightly odd) but I did go to a different doctor (and put up with paying the extra cost and also didn't bother telling the doctor I was actually registered with). She was English as it turned out (not that that really has anything to do with her being a good doctor necessarily but it is relevant) and said I should go for a chest X ray just to check, given my history. I was alarmed as I didn't have $1000 to spare having just returned from Europe and I also didn't have time to go on a waiting list as i was due to go back to Europe about 6 weeks later. She was most perplexed and said "No, you'll have the x ray within a week and it won't cost you a cent". I told her what had happened previously and she sighed and said "I probably shouldn't say this but that type of thing is not uncommon here - doctors referring people to their mates at great cost. If I were you, I'd get myself back to Europe as soon as possible because you'll receive better care there in my opinion. At the very least, the doctors will take you seriously if you think there is a problem." She also went on to say that patients are usually right about being ill. She said no one knows their own body like themselves and while there are hypochondriacs out there, most people of reasonable intelligence are correct about feeling pain/knowing where it is/making a guess as to what it could be.

So, IMHO, and going purely on my own experience (which i accept may be very different to other people's experiences), I'd say a big NO to healthcare in NZ.

The dentists are great though (at least the one I went to).

mazi

Forgot to say - it doesn't necessarily mean I think the NHS in the UK is all hearts and flowers - my mum recently went back to the UK for an op and they burst her bladder! BUT, she has had cancer a few times and the care she received then was great and our family doctor is fantastic. My nana has also been in hospital recently and while she was very ill (simply from being old and full of various ailments) and in fact, died yesterday, the nurses and all staff were lovely to her. And that was in London - often given a bad rap for being 'unfriendly'.

Littletoe

Oh God Mazi that's dreadful and yet you write with such humour about it, its hard not to smile!

I think the moral of the story may be, if you can, its better to get a Dr that you've heard is good. My Doc came highly recommended, and seemed to be well-known throughout the medical industry, so we had every trust in her. I've been in similiar situations (like Mazi) in the UK with GPs (who've not been recommended), and I've had to change a couple of times. God, I sound like I'm really ill all time, I'm not, I promise!! It just happens that when I do get sick (on the rare occasion), it happens to be something more serious!!

mazi

Bad things are always funnier than good IMO - after the event of course!

The only problem - this doctor WAS recommended by a woman I worked with! Anyway, and this is funny, I later found out that this woman (who left our place of work not long after recommending the doctor) had lived on a commune type thing with this doctor and his 9 kids and about 4 other families. She had moved on by the time I found this out (from the doctor himself) to live on a boat just off Tauranga (with a view to sailing around the world). Last I heard she was still in the boat just off Tauranga.

Jude J

Mazi, were you a resident at the time? Just wondering why you paid for all this? My husband has been seeing a gastro specialist for a couple of years and he has never paid. Never had to wait long either, 2 weeks from referral to app. coming through. He has just been referred to a dermatologist and has been told the wait will be fairly long, 2/3 months, but given the option to go private for around $300 per visit. He had to go private in UK too at 100 pound a visit so no difference there. He isn't going to pay though, it isn't urgent enough.

mazi

I turned down NZIS' offer of PR so I wasn't resident (work permit/visa only)- the reason I paid is because the doctor was a robbing git which was the whole point of my post! You'll notice I said that when I saw an honest doctor I didn't have to pay, nor wait (even without PR). Also by the time the (robbing, shorts-wearing) doctor finally believed that I was ill it was urgent so agreeing to pay his mates as a private patient was preferable to, well...dying. (Though this was more to keep Boyfriend happy - I seem to remember I did actually feel like dying at the time.)

(Smiley smiley)

Grayling

This is nonsense and an unnecessary comment.

MRSA is a worldwide problem and is common in most countries including NZ.

Try getting your facts right before you spout off about the UK

Jude J

I dont think you are having a pop at all
I just thought it was shocking that you would have to pay so much, especially for unnecessary treatment.

mazi

I think it's shocking too. If you go to the doctor and he is wearing shorts, turn around and walk away!

Jude J

I will
Just reading your post again, I feel quite angry on your behalf! The ultrasound cost you $300?? They should only cost $30! I also had some done privately when I was pregnant because I was 38, worried about abnormalities and wanted to know the sex, and that cost $70 a time including a dvd of the little thing floating around!
Did you complain?