Waiting Lists

I had an interesting discussion with my normal ENT (this happened about a week after the ambulance visit...)

I sort of felt that I was not in control - ie, the condition was getting worse & I was not managing it properly, so I had to go back for a fit-in appointment...

I got asked a basic question - I have private health insurance, so why hadn't I had the operation yet?

This seemed a very logical question - and I had no answer!

My ENT called the sydney specialist & I called as well.

What we found out was that yes I could be seen as a private patient (urgently) but the machine that I needed treatment with had a waiting list - which means that I have to wait in a queue with everyone else for it & that waiting list is managed by the hospital as the machine is a government machine....

SO you have a 30 day list, 90 day list & so on.

When I spoke with the Sydney ENT, I had been put on the 90 day list which after speaking with them the second time means about 9 months?

So I got moved up to the 30 day list which means about 3 months...

But after the 2nd visit to the ENT & then ambulance visit, they classified me as urgent - so I think it took about 2-3 weeks to get an appointment scheduled.

I'm quite confused how this process works - this is for Bankstown Hospital. Not like the procedure that I undergo when I go to Nepean. I guess I am lucky in that I dont need a special machine when I go to Nepean (they dont have the same technology there - it's just the standard equip) so I have what needs to be done as & when required (usually with about 2 weeks notice).

I guess the other interesting this I learned was that in this case having private hospital cover makes no difference! Which I guess was a misunderstanding on my part...

Very confusing!

Now it gets more interesting if you google waiting lists - you get a Australian Government definition of waiting list - being anything that doesnt need to be done within 24 hours..... see http://www.aph.gov.au/library/Pubs/BN/2007-08/Hospital_waiting_lists.htm

The NSW department of health has an interesting policy document on waiting lists - fascinating reading... So you get up the list if it's likely you'll end up in hospital anyway??!! http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/pd/2006/pdf/PD2006_020.pdf

trying to get the actual waiting list tiems for the nsw hospitals seems difficult - you follow one web link to another, etc and then end up with a general info page. not very helpful at all!

I did find this link... http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/hospitals/waitingtimes/summary.asp

It's interesting to see the current pdf report http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/resources/hospitals/waitingtimes/pdf/Jun2008.pdf

ENT procedures at bankstown are listed as 8 months wait!!!!! Nepean is only 3 months - but they dont have the special machine.

Interestingly, there were 2,030 patients waiting at nepean! and 1,845 at Bankstown..




- Raymond