Happy to report

[Swarfcut]

   Having paid into private healthcare (years ago) when it could be put down as a business expense, these days no longer, I have been lucky up to now. My mouth is the most expensive part of me since my Dentist went part time and no longer has an NHS contract. So I stick with the dentist  I know, get private treatment and pay as I go, but begrudge their late model premium brand car with a personal plate used for just three days a week. This is the real problem, in that these healthcare professionals are lucky to operate in an economic environment where the paying customer has no say.  I remember when Vets were regarded as the poor relations. Then came pet insurance, they're all doing well now.

 It's like car body repairs. The cost is always higher for an insurance funded repair, and we all pay that bit more with our premiums. Why should the insurance companies be bothered, they just screw the punters. That's why you should never renew without a bit of research.

 Best Wishes, C J.

 Swarfy.

 

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
Yes there is a night and day difference between public and private healthcare here mostly about waiting times for proceedures , a private patient in a public hospital can easily wind up in the next bed to a public patient. Elective proceedures where your insurance is paying up is a different game altogether
But for any emergency case I would go to the public A&E. I have had enough experiences of both
The public hospitals staff work really long hours and any i have met are totally comitted to their patient care.
I have heard that the working conditions and time off  for nurses and others who go to work in Australia  is much better than here ???

I'm sure in due course I will get a statement from my insurance about the cost of my 2 day stay in the Royal Suite
I do not begrudge my premiums as I'm sure I have gotten value for money  over the years

Now dental care is a different case where it hurts your wallet a lot

John

[RDfella]

The annoying thing about private / public is that if your doc refers you to a consultant, it'll be between 6mths to a year before your appointment. Ring up his secretary for an appointment and it'll be either tomorrow or next week at the latest. I've often wondered if consultants deliberately keep their public lists long to persuade clients to go private. I saw a consultant privately a couple of days ago (had been on his public list since Februrary - rang his secretary and was seeing him 48 hrs later). He's not too bad at £200 a visit, but consider he's usually fully booked for the day and sees a patient every 20 mins - he's not doing too badly.

[Joolstacho]

Health Insurance - another so-called 'free' enterprise ripoff. Thank heavens for socialised medicine like our brilliant Aussie Medibank where health care is considered a human right, for everybody, not just for the privileged rich.

[BSA_54A10]

The annoying thing about private / public is that if your doc refers you to a consultant, it'll be between 6mths to a year before your appointment. Ring up his secretary for an appointment and it'll be either tomorrow or next week at the latest. I've often wondered if consultants deliberately keep their public lists long to persuade clients to go private. I saw a consultant privately a couple of days ago (had been on his public list since Februrary - rang his secretary and was seeing him 48 hrs later). He's not too bad at £200 a visit, but consider he's usually fully booked for the day and sees a patient every 20 mins - he's not doing too badly.

Don't know how it works in the UK but down here specialist have a limited number of "public patient " consultations per day that get paid for by Medibank ( our NHS )
Thus say it might be only 2 per day so if they have 200 public patients already it will take 100 days to get an appointment for a new patient .
I have been off for most of this year with Rheumatoid Arthritis .
I was admitted as a public patient through A & E and the doctor saw me the very next day, prior to his usual hours which he keeps for public patients.
However the next follow up as a public patient could be no sooner than 6 months , but if I wanted to come as a private patient ( $ 400 ) I could make an appointment whenever I liked .
When he found out the medications were not working he saw me immediately 90 minutes earlier that the normal opening hours but the medicare certificate had to be post dated or he would not be paid for it .
When I originally saw the GP in Jan this year they diagnosed ( wrongly ) spinal damage ( normal wear & tear for a labourer ) and they made an application to get an appointment to see the spine specialist , I am still on the waiting list for an appointment so just as well it was not pressure on my nerves.

[muskrat]

G'day John.
 How's it going mate?
Just had a friend up here who had both his knees done a year apart. He has trouble kneeling but can now kick start his Trihard and Duck.
I use Medicare where ever possible as I don't have private. A few times I've ended up in hospital after a "get off" and been patched up quite well. The last one was 5 broken ribs and punctured lung. The time before was shoulder broke/shattered 13 places. Both done with Medicare with no "out of pocket" expenses. Lucky my back was under workers comp. The 3 fused discs usually costs $80,000 
Cheers

[chaterlea25]

Hi Musky and All,
I am coming around a bit, its early days yet
A year ago It would be normal to spend a week in Hospital for a knee replacement, now its 48 hours 
The instructions say not to kneel  so I wont be going there
I'll have to wait and see how kick starting goes
The electric leg for the SR should be delivered in about 10 days time, a project for the new Year?

John

[trevinoz]

Hi John,
I had my left knee replaced a couple of years ago.
Out of bed the next day and walking with a walker then with a stick. Climb the stairs and home, all in 48 hours.
My surgeon said to work the knee and full movement would return, I'm happy to report that it is almost full. He also said that there was no reason not to be able to kneel.
I have to as I am always dropping bits on the shed floor and they roll under the bench. It isn't as comfortable as I would like but I can do it.
I can kick my bike with the left leg, the right knee will need replacing at some time but it has improved since the left was replaced, probably scared it.
All I can say is work hard at it, I spent many hours on an exercise bike and some time lying on my back with my foot elevated and a two kilo bag of rice on the knee to stretch it.
You'll get there.
Trevor.

[Bsareg]

I had both done and was told not to kneel. When I said I need to kneel to get on my boat, was then told there was no medical reason, just that it would be uncomfortable (it isn't). Can also kick start all the bikes athough found the goldie kicktarter angle was difficult so fitted a Pearson starter. Sounds like you're doing well John.

[BSA_54A10]

Hi Musky and All,
I am coming around a bit, its early days yet
A year ago It would be normal to spend a week in Hospital for a knee replacement, now its 48 hours 
The instructions say not to kneel  so I wont be going there
I'll have to wait and see how kick starting goes
The electric leg for the SR should be delivered in about 10 days time, a project for the new Year?

John

I ripped my foot off back in 75
Back then we had a fantastic medical system with visiting specialists who did all of the public patients + A & E and if there was spare theatre time their own private patients.
THe last bit ***** of some socialist  idiots cause the "specialists" were using the public facilities at no cost to them but charging their patients full fees.
So they started a campain to change the system.
Dr Casey ( yes that was his name , and he was Brian to boot so Dr B Casey ) would do anything up to 30 surgeries a day using 2 theatres and 4 sets of staff .
I know this because I had an open wound so was the last person for one theatre & another patient had telescoped femur was the last patient in the other theatre.
As such there was almost no waiting list and the training doctors got to see how 14 different surgeons did their work so got excellent training.
Dr Casey did a lot of footballers, they were out of hospital the same day , mainly because they were so fit to start with.
His regular patients were mostly out the next day with the very few, usually older people might be in there for 2 days.
Leg in a splint pointing slight upward and held there by a sandbag with some rope slung over the shoulder .
Dr Bagott's knee patients were in there for 1 to 2 weeks and left in wheel chairs with a drain hanging off the sides.

So now we have a new system with no more than 8 knees done per day and a waiting list up to 12 months with hospital stays of 1 full week .

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
I really appreciate your stories , it helps knowing that I'm not alone in my situation
I can get my leg to straighten out pretty well and the range of movement is improving , It  will take it's share of weight now. About a day after the op I  got a fearsome muscle spasm at the front of my thigh, and am struggling to be able to raise my foot while lying down since! ( that's part of the exercises)
I'm due back to see a physio on Monday and then to see the surgeon on Thursday...
 
I am fairly used to using my left leg for kickstarting, as I have and had several bikes with LH kickstarter. Singles with valve lifters are easy , big flywheel's help.
I have found the SR is the most difficult  to kick over??
I figured adding the electric leg to the SR is better than having to buy another bike with electric leg and all its associated costs??

Cheers
John