The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has released a damning new report which reveals which of the nation’s public hospitals are underperforming — and it’s a pretty shocking read.

The medical group found that out of 201 state-funded hospitals included in their analysis, a mere three were found to be delivering care to patients within the recommended time.

The AMA’s new Australian Public Hospitals in Logjam 2023 analysis which covered 2021-2022 'paints a worsening picture of emergency department and essential surgery performance’, according to AMA President Steve Robson.

The result is a stark decrease from the year prior. In 2020-21, 15 of 201 hospitals received 'green lights' against the same standards, demonstrating that a vast amount of public hospitals are failing to deliver standard care to patients in time.

The three hospitals meeting expectations are NSW’s Young Hospital and SA’s South Coast District and Riverland General hospitals.

The number of hospitals AMA assessed to be delivering timely medical care dropped from 15 to 3 in a year, according to their latest report. Image Credit: Pexels/Pixabay

The AMA found that based on data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, these hospitals were able to deliver on-time care to their patients in terms of emergency department response and elective surgeries.

‘It’s devastating for every person waiting and dealing with months and months of pain,’ Robson said.

‘It’s unlikely hospitals will be able to expand their capacity to address this backlog if there is no intervention.’

The public health system, still reeling from the ravages of a global pandemic, is under mounting pressure from continued workforce shortages, increased ambulance ramping, and emergency departments beyond capacity.

Given the dismal results, the AMA is calling on the government to take steps to address the estimated hundreds of thousands of surgeries said to be in Australia’s backlog.

‘When National Cabinet sits down on (February 3), we want ministers to tackle the backlog of surgeries that we estimate will top half a million at the end of June,’ Robson said.

‘We are calling for a new national plan funded by all governments but with an up-front advance payment provided by the Commonwealth to support state and territory governments to expand their hospital capacity, including the workforce, to address the elective surgery backlog.’

The AMA wants the government to enact changes that would address the thousands of pending elective surgeries across Australia. Image Credit: Pexels/Jonathan Borba

This includes removing the yearly 6.5 per cent ceiling placed on federal funding increases.

The AMA is also calling on the public to take a proactive stance and check how their local hospital fared in their Hospital Logjam Finder tool.

‘The AMA’s logjam finder is the only place national hospital data is presented in this way and we’re asking people to tell us their stories and email their MPs so state and federal governments can hear their voices,’ he said.

Aussies may share their public hospital experiences with the AMA here.

​

Key Takeaways

• Only 3 of 201 public hospitals in Australia are delivering care to patients within recommended time frames according to an AMA report.
• Their Australian Public Hospitals in Logjam report paints a severe picture for the country's health system says AMA President Steve Robson.
• The AMA is calling on National Cabinet this week to tackle the country’s backlog of surgeries, with a new national plan funded by all governments.
• The public is also encouraged to use the AMA's Hospital Logjam tool to see how their local hospitals are faring.

On the note of reforms, there also have been previous calls for change in Medicare citing how its funding model potentially marginalises many Australians from accessing quality health care.

In fact, a report released in December of last year said the government health program was ineffective and ‘in the grip of a mid-life crisis’ and suggested several changes. These include making it easier for GPs to work with other allied health professionals and deploying an additional 1000 clinicians across Australia to augment public health service.

As part of systemic problems plaguing Medicare, it was previously pointed out that more and more GPs are moving away from bulk-billing out of concerns for the sustainability of their practices.

There have also been long standing calls for the government to reform Medicare over fears its structure inevitably leads to more Australians losing access to health care. Image Credit: Pexels/Karolina Graboswka

It was also reported in October that billions of dollars were lost to Medicare fraud due to false claims, which led to fears of further understaffing in the medical sector due to doctors’ mass resignations.

Hopefully, changes are made for all Australians to enjoy the quality healthcare they deserve.

How about you, have you had a good or bad experience in your local hospital? Share your story in the comments below!

Source: YouTube/7NEWS Australia​

 

[riskydave]

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has released a damning new report which reveals which of the nation’s public hospitals are underperforming — and it’s a pretty shocking read.

The medical group found that out of 201 state-funded hospitals included in their analysis, a mere three were found to be delivering care to patients within the recommended time.

The AMA’s new Australian Public Hospitals in Logjam 2023 analysis which covered 2021-2022 'paints a worsening picture of emergency department and essential surgery performance’, according to AMA President Steve Robson.

The result is a stark decrease from the year prior. In 2020-21, 15 of 201 hospitals received 'green lights' against the same standards, demonstrating that a vast amount of public hospitals are failing to deliver standard care to patients in time.

The three hospitals meeting expectations are NSW’s Young Hospital and SA’s South Coast District and Riverland General hospitals.

View attachment 12508

The number of hospitals AMA assessed to be delivering timely medical care dropped from 15 to 3 in a year, according to their latest report. Image Credit: Pexels/Pixabay

The AMA found that based on data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, these hospitals were able to deliver on-time care to their patients in terms of emergency department response and elective surgeries.

‘It’s devastating for every person waiting and dealing with months and months of pain,’ Robson said.

‘It’s unlikely hospitals will be able to expand their capacity to address this backlog if there is no intervention.’

The public health system, still reeling from the ravages of a global pandemic, is under mounting pressure from continued workforce shortages, increased ambulance ramping, and emergency departments beyond capacity.

Given the dismal results, the AMA is calling on the government to take steps to address the estimated hundreds of thousands of surgeries said to be in Australia’s backlog.

‘When National Cabinet sits down on (February 3), we want ministers to tackle the backlog of surgeries that we estimate will top half a million at the end of June,’ Robson said.

‘We are calling for a new national plan funded by all governments but with an up-front advance payment provided by the Commonwealth to support state and territory governments to expand their hospital capacity, including the workforce, to address the elective surgery backlog.’

View attachment 12509

The AMA wants the government to enact changes that would address the thousands of pending elective surgeries across Australia. Image Credit: Pexels/Jonathan Borba

This includes removing the yearly 6.5 per cent ceiling placed on federal funding increases.

The AMA is also calling on the public to take a proactive stance and check how their local hospital fared in their Hospital Logjam Finder tool.

‘The AMA’s logjam finder is the only place national hospital data is presented in this way and we’re asking people to tell us their stories and email their MPs so state and federal governments can hear their voices,’ he said.

Aussies may share their public hospital experiences with the AMA here.

​

Key Takeaways

• Only 3 of 201 public hospitals in Australia are delivering care to patients within recommended time frames according to an AMA report.
• Their Australian Public Hospitals in Logjam report paints a severe picture for the country's health system says AMA President Steve Robson.
• The AMA is calling on National Cabinet this week to tackle the country’s backlog of surgeries, with a new national plan funded by all governments.
• The public is also encouraged to use the AMA's Hospital Logjam tool to see how their local hospitals are faring.

On the note of reforms, there also have been previous calls for change in Medicare citing how its funding model potentially marginalises many Australians from accessing quality health care.

In fact, a report released in December of last year said the government health program was ineffective and ‘in the grip of a mid-life crisis’ and suggested several changes. These include making it easier for GPs to work with other allied health professionals and deploying an additional 1000 clinicians across Australia to augment public health service.

As part of systemic problems plaguing Medicare, it was previously pointed out that more and more GPs are moving away from bulk-billing out of concerns for the sustainability of their practices.

View attachment 12510

There have also been long standing calls for the government to reform Medicare over fears its structure inevitably leads to more Australians losing access to health care. Image Credit: Pexels/Karolina Graboswka

It was also reported in October that billions of dollars were lost to Medicare fraud due to false claims, which led to fears of further understaffing in the medical sector due doctors’ mass resignations.

Hopefully, changes are made for all Australians to enjoy the quality healthcare they deserve.

How about you, have you had a good or bad experience in your local hospital? Share your story in the comments below!

Source: YouTube/7NEWS Australia​

I really don't think it is the Hospitals fault, I think it is the Governments fault, which ever one funds them as they (Governments) don't seem to understand the concept of a growing population. You cannot keep cutting cost and decreasing staff and beds in Hospitals and not building new ones and still expect them to all function like they did 50 years ago, sorry, not going to happen. Governments have really got to start stepping up to the plate and putting more money in to these services, it is all going to fall over very soon. They saw that with their pretend virus problem when the system virtually collapsed. The problem also is that these people in Government have absolutely no idea of what it is like to wait or just be admitted to hospital, they are all such precious little princess's and get such special treatment anyone would think they are god when in reality they are so far removed that it is a joke. Wake up Governments, these Hospitals cannot function on the pittance you supply them because you are too worried about sending money overseas to make yourselves look good in the eyes of other countries. Australia is falling apart, and you seem to not want to help it.

 

[Luckyus]

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has released a damning new report which reveals which of the nation’s public hospitals are underperforming — and it’s a pretty shocking read.

The medical group found that out of 201 state-funded hospitals included in their analysis, a mere three were found to be delivering care to patients within the recommended time.

The AMA’s new Australian Public Hospitals in Logjam 2023 analysis which covered 2021-2022 'paints a worsening picture of emergency department and essential surgery performance’, according to AMA President Steve Robson.

The result is a stark decrease from the year prior. In 2020-21, 15 of 201 hospitals received 'green lights' against the same standards, demonstrating that a vast amount of public hospitals are failing to deliver standard care to patients in time.

The three hospitals meeting expectations are NSW’s Young Hospital and SA’s South Coast District and Riverland General hospitals.

View attachment 12508

The number of hospitals AMA assessed to be delivering timely medical care dropped from 15 to 3 in a year, according to their latest report. Image Credit: Pexels/Pixabay

The AMA found that based on data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, these hospitals were able to deliver on-time care to their patients in terms of emergency department response and elective surgeries.

‘It’s devastating for every person waiting and dealing with months and months of pain,’ Robson said.

‘It’s unlikely hospitals will be able to expand their capacity to address this backlog if there is no intervention.’

The public health system, still reeling from the ravages of a global pandemic, is under mounting pressure from continued workforce shortages, increased ambulance ramping, and emergency departments beyond capacity.

Given the dismal results, the AMA is calling on the government to take steps to address the estimated hundreds of thousands of surgeries said to be in Australia’s backlog.

‘When National Cabinet sits down on (February 3), we want ministers to tackle the backlog of surgeries that we estimate will top half a million at the end of June,’ Robson said.

‘We are calling for a new national plan funded by all governments but with an up-front advance payment provided by the Commonwealth to support state and territory governments to expand their hospital capacity, including the workforce, to address the elective surgery backlog.’

View attachment 12509

The AMA wants the government to enact changes that would address the thousands of pending elective surgeries across Australia. Image Credit: Pexels/Jonathan Borba

This includes removing the yearly 6.5 per cent ceiling placed on federal funding increases.

The AMA is also calling on the public to take a proactive stance and check how their local hospital fared in their Hospital Logjam Finder tool.

‘The AMA’s logjam finder is the only place national hospital data is presented in this way and we’re asking people to tell us their stories and email their MPs so state and federal governments can hear their voices,’ he said.

Aussies may share their public hospital experiences with the AMA here.

​

Key Takeaways

• Only 3 of 201 public hospitals in Australia are delivering care to patients within recommended time frames according to an AMA report.
• Their Australian Public Hospitals in Logjam report paints a severe picture for the country's health system says AMA President Steve Robson.
• The AMA is calling on National Cabinet this week to tackle the country’s backlog of surgeries, with a new national plan funded by all governments.
• The public is also encouraged to use the AMA's Hospital Logjam tool to see how their local hospitals are faring.

On the note of reforms, there also have been previous calls for change in Medicare citing how its funding model potentially marginalises many Australians from accessing quality health care.

In fact, a report released in December of last year said the government health program was ineffective and ‘in the grip of a mid-life crisis’ and suggested several changes. These include making it easier for GPs to work with other allied health professionals and deploying an additional 1000 clinicians across Australia to augment public health service.

As part of systemic problems plaguing Medicare, it was previously pointed out that more and more GPs are moving away from bulk-billing out of concerns for the sustainability of their practices.

View attachment 12510

There have also been long standing calls for the government to reform Medicare over fears its structure inevitably leads to more Australians losing access to health care. Image Credit: Pexels/Karolina Graboswka

It was also reported in October that billions of dollars were lost to Medicare fraud due to false claims, which led to fears of further understaffing in the medical sector due doctors’ mass resignations.

Hopefully, changes are made for all Australians to enjoy the quality healthcare they deserve.

How about you, have you had a good or bad experience in your local hospital? Share your story in the comments below!

Source: YouTube/7NEWS Australia​

There should be a mandatory tenfold fine on anyone caught perpetrating Medicare Fraud.

 

[888D.C888]

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has released a damning new report which reveals which of the nation’s public hospitals are underperforming — and it’s a pretty shocking read.

The medical group found that out of 201 state-funded hospitals included in their analysis, a mere three were found to be delivering care to patients within the recommended time.

The AMA’s new Australian Public Hospitals in Logjam 2023 analysis which covered 2021-2022 'paints a worsening picture of emergency department and essential surgery performance’, according to AMA President Steve Robson.

The result is a stark decrease from the year prior. In 2020-21, 15 of 201 hospitals received 'green lights' against the same standards, demonstrating that a vast amount of public hospitals are failing to deliver standard care to patients in time.

The three hospitals meeting expectations are NSW’s Young Hospital and SA’s South Coast District and Riverland General hospitals.

View attachment 12508

The number of hospitals AMA assessed to be delivering timely medical care dropped from 15 to 3 in a year, according to their latest report. Image Credit: Pexels/Pixabay

The AMA found that based on data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, these hospitals were able to deliver on-time care to their patients in terms of emergency department response and elective surgeries.

‘It’s devastating for every person waiting and dealing with months and months of pain,’ Robson said.

‘It’s unlikely hospitals will be able to expand their capacity to address this backlog if there is no intervention.’

The public health system, still reeling from the ravages of a global pandemic, is under mounting pressure from continued workforce shortages, increased ambulance ramping, and emergency departments beyond capacity.

Given the dismal results, the AMA is calling on the government to take steps to address the estimated hundreds of thousands of surgeries said to be in Australia’s backlog.

‘When National Cabinet sits down on (February 3), we want ministers to tackle the backlog of surgeries that we estimate will top half a million at the end of June,’ Robson said.

‘We are calling for a new national plan funded by all governments but with an up-front advance payment provided by the Commonwealth to support state and territory governments to expand their hospital capacity, including the workforce, to address the elective surgery backlog.’

View attachment 12509

The AMA wants the government to enact changes that would address the thousands of pending elective surgeries across Australia. Image Credit: Pexels/Jonathan Borba

This includes removing the yearly 6.5 per cent ceiling placed on federal funding increases.

The AMA is also calling on the public to take a proactive stance and check how their local hospital fared in their Hospital Logjam Finder tool.

‘The AMA’s logjam finder is the only place national hospital data is presented in this way and we’re asking people to tell us their stories and email their MPs so state and federal governments can hear their voices,’ he said.

Aussies may share their public hospital experiences with the AMA here.

​

Key Takeaways

• Only 3 of 201 public hospitals in Australia are delivering care to patients within recommended time frames according to an AMA report.
• Their Australian Public Hospitals in Logjam report paints a severe picture for the country's health system says AMA President Steve Robson.
• The AMA is calling on National Cabinet this week to tackle the country’s backlog of surgeries, with a new national plan funded by all governments.
• The public is also encouraged to use the AMA's Hospital Logjam tool to see how their local hospitals are faring.

On the note of reforms, there also have been previous calls for change in Medicare citing how its funding model potentially marginalises many Australians from accessing quality health care.

In fact, a report released in December of last year said the government health program was ineffective and ‘in the grip of a mid-life crisis’ and suggested several changes. These include making it easier for GPs to work with other allied health professionals and deploying an additional 1000 clinicians across Australia to augment public health service.

As part of systemic problems plaguing Medicare, it was previously pointed out that more and more GPs are moving away from bulk-billing out of concerns for the sustainability of their practices.

View attachment 12510

There have also been long standing calls for the government to reform Medicare over fears its structure inevitably leads to more Australians losing access to health care. Image Credit: Pexels/Karolina Graboswka

It was also reported in October that billions of dollars were lost to Medicare fraud due to false claims, which led to fears of further understaffing in the medical sector due doctors’ mass resignations.

Hopefully, changes are made for all Australians to enjoy the quality healthcare they deserve.

How about you, have you had a good or bad experience in your local hospital? Share your story in the comments below!

Source: YouTube/7NEWS Australia​

All nursing & medical & allied health professional staff need appropriate academic & clinical training & need to be examined appropriately to ensure that they are safe to practice without supervision.
Being short staffed due to too much workload & not enough staff to cover due to poor planning or sickness is a constant in most hospital wards & specialised areas. This means that patient safety is then an issue.
Too many patients fall out of bed. My darling Dad ~ RIP fell out of bed in his nursing home so many times and on his 23rd fall they put an alarm mattress on the floor that I had requested since Day One. I had also requested that he have a bed that could lower to the floor or just put his mattress on the floor. The response that I kept getting was negative from the Nurse Manager. Finally when he broke his hip on his 23rd fall out of bed & needed surgery they got an appropriate bed & alarm floor mat.

When in a public hospital the evening nurse in charge was not very clinically astute & even though his obvious symptoms were cleary pointed out to her in the evening around 7pm & I requested that a Dr be called to examine him, her reply was that there was no Dr available to call & that a Dr would see him in the morning. He then suffered a heart attack at 10:00am before the Dr came to see him! This could have been prevented with approproate nursing & medical management.
He was then moved to a cardiac unit in another big public hospital where he was put in an observation unit. He was the only patient there & hefell out of bed & broke his arm! Tbe nurse tripped over him on the floor when she went in to check why his heart monitor was off. He then fell out of bed in the cardiac ward four times. Other patients in the same ward were also falling out of bed. I could hardly believe it! So this is due to overmedicating the patients and lack of adequate supervision by experienced staff. We had to get a nurse from the nursing agency to monitor him 24hrs as we could not rely on the ward staff when he was in that ward. The only trust worthy person I met caring for him was the Medical gerontology Professor

When in yet another hospital, private this time, I found him laying in a cold wet bed & he was complaining of feeling cold. His sheets were saturated with urine. There were no staff to be seen anywhere & I had to search cupboards to find linen to change his bed. I eventually found the linen cupboard and then a nurse appeared told me that his nurse will change his bed and that took another 15mins to wait for. The medical director in this hospital was very rude and had no empathy and just wrote my Dad off as being old. I could not believe his callous attitude.

My sister had an operation on her stomach as her muscles had split apart due to carrying children. The staff treated her abhorrently, not giving her pain relief when she needed it & telling her she must be a drug addict! This same nurse did not assist her to go to the toilet & she collapsed on the floor due to the overwhelming pain she was experiencing. Obviously her young nurse was inexperienced & very opinionated & judgmental. Just not good enough!

 

[Plastic Druid]

I just wanted to say that the distressing stories related above, although no doubt real, are not how I remember my own stays in hospital. I have been admitted to hospital in Sydney three times: Royal Prince Alfred, The Mater and Strathfield. In all cases I received the very best of treatment and was treated with respect and kindness by everyone.

 

[Suzanne rose]

I just wanted to say that the distressing stories related above, although no doubt real, are not how I remember my own stays in hospital. I have been admitted to hospital in Sydney three times: Royal Prince Alfred, The Mater and Strathfield. In all cases I received the very best of treatment and was treated with respect and kindness by everyone.

Was that Strathfield Private?

 

[micky1]

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has released a damning new report which reveals which of the nation’s public hospitals are underperforming — and it’s a pretty shocking read.

The medical group found that out of 201 state-funded hospitals included in their analysis, a mere three were found to be delivering care to patients within the recommended time.

The AMA’s new Australian Public Hospitals in Logjam 2023 analysis which covered 2021-2022 'paints a worsening picture of emergency department and essential surgery performance’, according to AMA President Steve Robson.

The result is a stark decrease from the year prior. In 2020-21, 15 of 201 hospitals received 'green lights' against the same standards, demonstrating that a vast amount of public hospitals are failing to deliver standard care to patients in time.

The three hospitals meeting expectations are NSW’s Young Hospital and SA’s South Coast District and Riverland General hospitals.

View attachment 12508

The number of hospitals AMA assessed to be delivering timely medical care dropped from 15 to 3 in a year, according to their latest report. Image Credit: Pexels/Pixabay

The AMA found that based on data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, these hospitals were able to deliver on-time care to their patients in terms of emergency department response and elective surgeries.

‘It’s devastating for every person waiting and dealing with months and months of pain,’ Robson said.

‘It’s unlikely hospitals will be able to expand their capacity to address this backlog if there is no intervention.’

The public health system, still reeling from the ravages of a global pandemic, is under mounting pressure from continued workforce shortages, increased ambulance ramping, and emergency departments beyond capacity.

Given the dismal results, the AMA is calling on the government to take steps to address the estimated hundreds of thousands of surgeries said to be in Australia’s backlog.

‘When National Cabinet sits down on (February 3), we want ministers to tackle the backlog of surgeries that we estimate will top half a million at the end of June,’ Robson said.

‘We are calling for a new national plan funded by all governments but with an up-front advance payment provided by the Commonwealth to support state and territory governments to expand their hospital capacity, including the workforce, to address the elective surgery backlog.’

View attachment 12509

The AMA wants the government to enact changes that would address the thousands of pending elective surgeries across Australia. Image Credit: Pexels/Jonathan Borba

This includes removing the yearly 6.5 per cent ceiling placed on federal funding increases.

The AMA is also calling on the public to take a proactive stance and check how their local hospital fared in their Hospital Logjam Finder tool.

‘The AMA’s logjam finder is the only place national hospital data is presented in this way and we’re asking people to tell us their stories and email their MPs so state and federal governments can hear their voices,’ he said.

Aussies may share their public hospital experiences with the AMA here.

​

Key Takeaways

• Only 3 of 201 public hospitals in Australia are delivering care to patients within recommended time frames according to an AMA report.
• Their Australian Public Hospitals in Logjam report paints a severe picture for the country's health system says AMA President Steve Robson.
• The AMA is calling on National Cabinet this week to tackle the country’s backlog of surgeries, with a new national plan funded by all governments.
• The public is also encouraged to use the AMA's Hospital Logjam tool to see how their local hospitals are faring.

On the note of reforms, there also have been previous calls for change in Medicare citing how its funding model potentially marginalises many Australians from accessing quality health care.

In fact, a report released in December of last year said the government health program was ineffective and ‘in the grip of a mid-life crisis’ and suggested several changes. These include making it easier for GPs to work with other allied health professionals and deploying an additional 1000 clinicians across Australia to augment public health service.

As part of systemic problems plaguing Medicare, it was previously pointed out that more and more GPs are moving away from bulk-billing out of concerns for the sustainability of their practices.

View attachment 12510

There have also been long standing calls for the government to reform Medicare over fears its structure inevitably leads to more Australians losing access to health care. Image Credit: Pexels/Karolina Graboswka

It was also reported in October that billions of dollars were lost to Medicare fraud due to false claims, which led to fears of further understaffing in the medical sector due to doctors’ mass resignations.

Hopefully, changes are made for all Australians to enjoy the quality healthcare they deserve.

How about you, have you had a good or bad experience in your local hospital? Share your story in the comments below!

Source: YouTube/7NEWS Australia​

This is just so wrong!

 

[Penny4]

All nursing & medical & allied health professional staff need appropriate academic & clinical training & need to be examined appropriately to ensure that they are safe to practice without supervision.
Being short staffed due to too much workload & not enough staff to cover due to poor planning or sickness is a constant in most hospital wards & specialised areas. This means that patient safety is then an issue.
Too many patients fall out of bed. My darling Dad ~ RIP fell out of bed in his nursing home so many times and on his 23rd fall they put an alarm mattress on the floor that I had requested since Day One. I had also requested that he have a bed that could lower to the floor or just put his mattress on the floor. The response that I kept getting was negative from the Nurse Manager. Finally when he broke his hip on his 23rd fall out of bed & needed surgery they got an appropriate bed & alarm floor mat.

When in a public hospital the evening nurse in charge was not very clinically astute & even though his obvious symptoms were cleary pointed out to her in the evening around 7pm & I requested that a Dr be called to examine him, her reply was that there was no Dr available to call & that a Dr would see him in the morning. He then suffered a heart attack at 10:00am before the Dr came to see him! This could have been prevented with approproate nursing & medical management.
He was then moved to a cardiac unit in another big public hospital where he was put in an observation unit. He was the only patient there & hefell out of bed & broke his arm! Tbe nurse tripped over him on the floor when she went in to check why his heart monitor was off. He then fell out of bed in the cardiac ward four times. Other patients in the same ward were also falling out of bed. I could hardly believe it! So this is due to overmedicating the patients and lack of adequate supervision by experienced staff. We had to get a nurse from the nursing agency to monitor him 24hrs as we could not rely on the ward staff when he was in that ward. The only trust worthy person I met caring for him was the Medical gerontology Professor

When in yet another hospital, private this time, I found him laying in a cold wet bed & he was complaining of feeling cold. His sheets were saturated with urine. There were no staff to be seen anywhere & I had to search cupboards to find linen to change his bed. I eventually found the linen cupboard and then a nurse appeared told me that his nurse will change his bed and that took another 15mins to wait for. The medical director in this hospital was very rude and had no empathy and just wrote my Dad off as being old. I could not believe his callous attitude.

My sister had an operation on her stomach as her muscles had split apart due to carrying children. The staff treated her abhorrently, not giving her pain relief when she needed it & telling her she must be a drug addict! This same nurse did not assist her to go to the toilet & she collapsed on the floor due to the overwhelming pain she was experiencing. Obviously her young nurse was inexperienced & very opinionated & judgmental. Just not good enough!

That's extremely sad. Didn't they put safety rails up on both sides of the bed for your father?

 

[Tripper]

The trauma has rushed back to fill my head and my heart reading this article. The hospital system is broken and as a result precious members of my family are no longer here. Too little, too late and when the terminal diagnosis was give there was cavalier disregard for the patient and family too.
Lot's of cover ups and protecting of each other and their jobs.

 

[Suzanne rose]

They say patients who do not have private health insurance arnt discriminated ..that is lies

My eldest daughter went to hospital 3 times due to gall stones . She was on a waiting list. The 3rd time , she collapsed in pain I went to her house and called an ambulance.

I asked the hospital why can't they remove her gall bladder , they replied that she was on a waiting list and if she had health insurance she would have had it done with a couple of weeks.
My husband went to his specialist the next week and was operated on the following week in the same hospital that my daughter went to. Canterbury Hospital. My husband wasn't in even half the pain as our daughter.

My 14 year old granddaughter just spent 4 days in hospital on a drip for tonsillitis they said she needs them out and has been put on a waiting list they said about 12 months. My son is now looking at a private hospital and just paying the cost

 

[Rob44]

The AMA should do something about itself when it comes to the under-supply of doctors.

If the criteria for entering medical school were lowered to about the same as for any person wanting to do an undergraduate degree in physics and mathematics and university medical school tuition fees were not so obscenely expensive then I am sure more young people would aspire to become doctors; and if government funded more2-year internships at our public hospitals then there is more chance that in about 8-10 years time we will have more young Australian doctors entering the medical work-force.

We also need to arrange it that our rural public hospitals get a decent supply of doctors rather than having to depend on locum doctors who eat the rural hospitals' budgets and may not be committed to the job they are doing.

Our medical crisis is in part one of our doctors' own making.

 

[Penny4]

I don't believe there is any wait time for cancer patients in public hospitals.
For instance, my mother had lung cancer 5 years ago. She was treated within a few weeks with immunotherapy. My mother does have private health, and the public hospital used her private health for costs. My mother didn't have to pay.

 

[Rob44]

All nursing & medical & allied health professional staff need appropriate academic & clinical training & need to be examined appropriately to ensure that they are safe to practice without supervision.
Being short staffed due to too much workload & not enough staff to cover due to poor planning or sickness is a constant in most hospital wards & specialised areas. This means that patient safety is then an issue.
Too many patients fall out of bed. My darling Dad ~ RIP fell out of bed in his nursing home so many times and on his 23rd fall they put an alarm mattress on the floor that I had requested since Day One. I had also requested that he have a bed that could lower to the floor or just put his mattress on the floor. The response that I kept getting was negative from the Nurse Manager. Finally when he broke his hip on his 23rd fall out of bed & needed surgery they got an appropriate bed & alarm floor mat.

When in a public hospital the evening nurse in charge was not very clinically astute & even though his obvious symptoms were cleary pointed out to her in the evening around 7pm & I requested that a Dr be called to examine him, her reply was that there was no Dr available to call & that a Dr would see him in the morning. He then suffered a heart attack at 10:00am before the Dr came to see him! This could have been prevented with approproate nursing & medical management.
He was then moved to a cardiac unit in another big public hospital where he was put in an observation unit. He was the only patient there & hefell out of bed & broke his arm! Tbe nurse tripped over him on the floor when she went in to check why his heart monitor was off. He then fell out of bed in the cardiac ward four times. Other patients in the same ward were also falling out of bed. I could hardly believe it! So this is due to overmedicating the patients and lack of adequate supervision by experienced staff. We had to get a nurse from the nursing agency to monitor him 24hrs as we could not rely on the ward staff when he was in that ward. The only trust worthy person I met caring for him was the Medical gerontology Professor

When in yet another hospital, private this time, I found him laying in a cold wet bed & he was complaining of feeling cold. His sheets were saturated with urine. There were no staff to be seen anywhere & I had to search cupboards to find linen to change his bed. I eventually found the linen cupboard and then a nurse appeared told me that his nurse will change his bed and that took another 15mins to wait for. The medical director in this hospital was very rude and had no empathy and just wrote my Dad off as being old. I could not believe his callous attitude.

My sister had an operation on her stomach as her muscles had split apart due to carrying children. The staff treated her abhorrently, not giving her pain relief when she needed it & telling her she must be a drug addict! This same nurse did not assist her to go to the toilet & she collapsed on the floor due to the overwhelming pain she was experiencing. Obviously her young nurse was inexperienced & very opinionated & judgmental. Just not good enough!

At one time nurses were trained on-the-job in hospital, not in university. They were supervised by "Sister Tutors" and a "Matron", not academics. They lived together in "nurses' homes" and thus could learn to work together as a group. However, that was in the bad old days when they learnt on-the-job and ultimately knew their job well. And that practice ensured an adequate supply of junior nurses to help their seniors do their jobs properly.

 

[Penny4]

At one time nurses were trained on-the-job in hospital, not in university. They were supervised by "Sister Tutors" and a "Matron", not academics. They lived together in "nurses' homes" and thus could learn to work together as a group. However, that was in the bad old days when they learnt on-the-job and ultimately knew their job well. And that practice ensured an adequate supply of junior nurses to help their seniors do their jobs properly.

There's two types of nurses these days. Enrolled nurses and Registered Nurses. Registered Nurses have university qualifications. My friend who let her nursing yearly registration lapse was glad to attend university as she felt up to date with all medications that was completely different many years prior.

 

[Rusty Nutz]

There should be a mandatory tenfold fine on anyone caught perpetrating Medicare Fraud.

Bet we can name the nationality's most involved in defrauding us, the tax payers!

 

[Rob44]

Yes, medications change and medical procedures change but there is no reason why this cannot be taught as course-work whilst also working to become an RN. Again that could be the advantage of having trainee nurses living together in nurses' homes similar to the residential colleges provided by universities. Why not?

 

[Penny4]

Yes, medications change and medical procedures change but there is no reason why this cannot be taught as course-work whilst also working to become an RN. Again that could be the advantage of having trainee nurses living together in nurses' homes similar to the residential colleges provided by universities. Why not?

I guess the answer is that when nurses used to learn on the job they improved through repetition.
These days nurses' roles have changed dramatically with complex health care needs.
Last time I visited hospitals, it was whole new ball game.

 

[margaretritchie48]

I guess the answer is that when nurses used to learn on the job they improved through repetition.
These days nurses' roles have changed dramatically with complex health care needs.
Last time I visited hospitals, it was whole new ball game.

Could not agree more.

 

[Pommyoz]

That's extremely sad. Didn't they put safety rails up on both sides of the bed for your father?

They do not install safety rails because a new law states they are abuse rails. Restraining patients is not on apparently!!

 

[Rob44]

Could not agree more.

Learning on-the-job does not entail learning 1870s-style ursing. What I have seen of the university training of Australian nurses does not impress me as rocket science; and the human body has not changed in the last 300 000 years. By all means give the RN a degree-level qualification when exams have been passed etc, but....the more practice in the field, usually the better the practitioner.