[Sam B]

Well I've had my first experience of the NZ free health service today, and so far it compares favourably to the NHS. 2 months ago during a routine health check, my doctor spotted that I had a heart murmur. I have also had some palpitations from time to time for a few years, so she decided to refer me to the cardiology dept. She said it would be ages before I got an appointment, but in fact I had a letter within a month and an appointment within 2 months.

So today I was at Waikato hospital, which felt like any big British hospital - slightly grim but functional. I wasn't kept waiting long, but I did get the chance to read an out of date article about how Demi Moore is struggling to get acting roles now she's in her forties (despite extensive plastic surgery apparently). I saw a nurse from Holland and a doctor from South Africa. The nurse was lovely. I had an ECG etc, then saw the doctor.

SWOON - he was SUCH a HUNK!!!!!! Think young Harrison Ford, circa first Star Wars film. Lots of first names, firm handshakes and caring expressions. I'm almost tempted to make up future chest pains so I can be rereferred. I mentioned that I had had back pain for 12 years, expecting the usual bored 'oh really?' ... but his eyes practically filled with tears - 'Oh I'm so sorry' he said, as if I had just announced a recent bereavement.

Anyway, I'm fine, he couldn't hear a murmur, but he's referring me for an echo something just to be sure .... hope it's him .....

Overall, a good experience. We don't have any hea;lth insurance and I won't be bothering as it seems just as good as the NHS if not better.

Ooooh, is that a twinge in my chest? Must see the GP for another referral tomorrow .....

[gil]

Sympathy for the heart murmur and :laugh:laugh:laugh for the post! Was J with you? ;)
Gil
x

[peebles16]

:laugh :D

That's cheered me up no end Sam love it when health service is measured on 'hunky doctor' scale :)

Also glad to hear everything is okay
Karenx

[Steadybears]

Loved your story Sam - and glad that you okay - guess you have requested a follow up!!!!:laugh:laugh

[nippa&pippa]

What is with NZ's Drs on heart issues? I also about to referral to have heart scan because of heart mumur picked up during pregnancy but decided not go ahead, phew.

I know what you mean about handsome Dr :laugh my baby's ENT specialist was also soooooooooooo handsome, aaahhhhhh and best of all, I will see him again to see whether I will be qualifiy for cochlear implants after he suggested me to apply for one, Finger cross....

[SharpBlade]

Hey Sophia,
which ENT was it ? I also take one of my sons to an ENT at Chch..

[M-Squared]

Great medical news! :nice1

And even better about the hunky doc. :laugh I once had a male gynaecologist who was WAY too good-looking for his own good. :eek:

My new doc is also a man... but thankfully not overly hunky. :laugh

[nippa&pippa]

Hey Sophia,
which ENT was it ? I also take one of my sons to an ENT at Chch..

argh...let me find his name (he is llloooovvveeeelllllyyyy ;):laugh)

Mr Darren Murrey

same as your?

[Belmont Babes]

Ahh so that's why you weren't at Step today....swooning after some bloke in a white coat...shame on you! By the way what was his name? I have palpitations too you know:D

[Sam B]

tee hee.

[dusk]

that's the best trip to hospital story I've ever heard ;)

[vixxann]

Sam and Nat - if you go to step and overdo it the hunky doc may need to come and do a house visit ;) (then you would be having palpitations!!)

[Sam B]

phwoar, nice thought.

[jackie m]

Great story:D glad everything is fine though.

Jackie x

[Caroline and Dave]

I would say in my opinion that the NZ health service(Certainly on Diabetic care is better than the NHS Diabetic Care) Although I had no real grumbles with the Diabetic care in the UK the difference is totally different.
First off the receptionist spent 10 minutes with me personally going over every question on the form . Then I spent 10 minutes with the Diabetic nurse and the blood glucose machine also takes your Hba1c ( Long term glucose reading) I then spent a good 20 minutes with the consultant. It was a far more relaxed experience than the UK. I went to a proper Diabetic centre in the hospital and there were 3 people in the waiting room , not 50 at least as it would be in the UK. The biggest difference I found that I was treated like a person and not a number. I do realise the pressures they are under in the UK but it doesn't take much to talk couertesly to you. I found the overall experience far more relaxing.
I was out within the hour and waiting time was minutes as compared to hours.

Dave

[nippa&pippa]

I would say in my opinion that the NZ health service(Certainly on Diabetic care is better than the NHS Diabetic Care) Although I had no real grumbles with the Diabetic care in the UK the difference is totally different.
It was a far more relaxed experience than the UK. I went to a proper Diabetic centre in the hospital and there were 3 people in the waiting room , not 50 at least as it would be in the UK. The biggest difference I found that I was treated like a person and not a number. I do realise the pressures they are under in the UK but it doesn't take much to talk couertesly to you. I found the overall experience far more relaxing.
I was out within the hour and waiting time was minutes as compared to hours.

Dave

Agree with you :yes Our 2 children's allergy clinic in UK take us whole morning, can be up to 3 hours long PER child, not easy when our children is under 3 and get very bored....
In NZ's allergy clinic, now with extra child (born in NZ), all three children's allergy clinic was taken together, test together and all done under 2 hour PER family,, not PER child, it is so much easier, relaxing and quicker.

[jubjub]

Yay to scrummy docs, the one at our local surgery isnt bad, and if I can get my own very nice lady doc, I generally choose him instead... ;)

We were in and out of ENT yesterday in under 20 mins, I was stunned.... last year it took us over an hour (although I think we got forgotten about as when I pointed out we were still there, she looked sheepish and we were seen within 5 mins after that!)

there are areas that are lacking, same as UK, for instance I wanted DS to get a speech language assessment, the waiting list in our area is nearly 2 years (he would be at school by then pretty much!) so we went private for that. Hearing tests were a long wait too, nearly 6 months, so we skipped along to the Uni for that one and got it done cheaply by a student, and they were FAB! I am sure there are other areas that are overstretched too.... but they are just the ones i have come across in Auckland.

but I have to say that every department I have come across so far have always been friendly and helpful, not at all like some of the miserable folks we came across in the NHS...

[Jo Jo]

Thanks to this thread I've had that "Oh, doctor I'm in trouble" song going through my head all morning.

[JandM]

Well, goodness gracious me!:laugh

[Tia Maria]

Sam - glad to hear you are OK, it certainly sheds some light on your Morbid Thoughts thread!

I have suffered from back issues for years and had also got use to be brushed off. But when I let my NZ doctor know, he said, 'well we can't be having that' and promptly sent me off for an Xray and I was diagnosed within a week.

In the UK, I had seen various doctors who had sent me for physio, osteopathy, chiropractor etc etc. But had never made an attempt to actually diagnose the problem with something like an Xray - funding issues maybe?

Like the other posters, my main feeling is that in NZ my doctor they genuinely listens to me and attempts to solve the problem. Unfortunately, my doctor is not a hunk, nor did his eyes well up with tears when I told him - maybe yours had been chopping onions shortly before?! :p

Cheers

Tia

[Sam B]

[QUOTE=Tia Maria;222405]
Unfortunately, my doctor is not a hunk, nor did his eyes well up with tears when I told him - maybe yours had been chopping onions shortly before?! :p

No Tia - he was just overwhelmed with my beauty....

Sal - pm me anytime you want SLT advice. Shocking wait in your area! My waiting list in Tok is 3 weeks, and that's just while I wait for the file to be made up. You'll have to move there...

[jubjub]

The wait is a shocker, my doc basically said it was a waste of time going on the list if we could afford to get a private SLT assessment.

I forgot thats what you did! :laugh... could have come to an arrangement involving payment in Wagamamas & wine :grin

[Sam B]

mmm, wine, mmmmm, wagamamas - it's a deal

[Tia Maria]

Sam, ah, now overwhelmed by your beauty - that makes much more sense! :D

SLT - code for Speech therapy? If it is, I had a conversation with someone at our local playgroup who had had the same problem with waiting times, and had taken her son to somewhere where they train speech therapists. She was really pleased with the outcome as he was seen by the student and the person overseeing them.

It was definitely somewhere in Auckland, but I'm afraid I wasn't listening to that bit too much - sorry. Might be worth looking into, I can always ask her if I see her again!

Cheers

Tia

[jubjub]

tia, might well have been the unit at Auckland Uni's tamaki campus (its over our neck of the woods), I looked at that when I was there for the hearing test with the students!

The prices are actually similar to the private one I have found nearer to us..

edit

Here it is http://www.psych.auckland.ac.nz/Clinics/LAL.htm

They also do free clinics at some points in the year http://www.psych.auckland.ac.nz/Clinics/TeachingClinic.htm

[Sam B]

SLT = speech and language therapy.

Such a shame you have to wait in Auckland, much easier to fix kids if you see them as young as possible. Sometimes only takes 1 appointment and advice to the parents.

[incredible hulse]

We are fairly 'heavy' users of the health (and education) system as we have a disabled child who has to see what seems like every department in the health service. This was one of our major considerations when coming to NZ as the service we obtained from the NHS was nothing short of excellent. Granted we had to endure the waits at the hospital as appointments often overran but the waiting lists were acceptable, the standard of doctors was reputably world class and the breadth and availability of services very good.

Our thoughts on the NZ health service is generally good. We see a good GP (obviously varies from case to case), can get to see him usually the same day and never more than 2-3 days wait.
Hospital/specialist services are good in the main but there is a lack of doctors in some areas and this does sometimes lead to long waiting lists (18 months for a developmental paediatrician ?!). Physios/OT's seem to be like golddust too. I don't want someone who smiles at me I want to see someone who knows what they are doing !

I do like the fact that different departments seem to talk to each other better than the UK so a better amount of co-ordination of visits occurs.

Educational based services - orrs,slt; this in our experience is way lacking in investment. There appears to only be one slt for the Kapiti region so waits and visits are long in coming. ORRS funding is an absolute joke (1% of the population hard limit) and sen funding outside of that is as much (if not more) of a lottery than the UK.

Another thing to say on the health service is - check your medication is on pharmac's funding list. Our son would benefit from medication that currently isn't (it is throughout the rest of the developed world (bar Japan ironically)) and we are looking at a 15-20k bill to self fund annually. We were always aware of this when coming here but the expectation was that this was due to change (2.5 years and still waiting for Pharmac...) and we could afford this (high living costs make this unfeasible for us)

[Tia Maria]

Hulse wrote:

Physios/OT's seem to be like golddust too. I don't want someone who smiles at me I want to see someone who knows what they are doing !

All the physios I met in the UK were from NZ - so maybe thats why!

Cheers

Tia

[StevieD]

Hunky docs and sexy nurses apart, I am impressed with the health service in NZ. I imagine it would be difficult to get a physio appointment the same day as seeing the doctor in the UK as the doctor has to write to the physio department in order to get an appointment. The last time I did this the physio apologised because he couldn't fit me in the same day (it was 3pm!) but first thing next morning would be fine!! No letter writing and waiting for replies, just walk in and book yourself.
Same with doctors appointments, usually same day, although I do appreciate that the overcrowding up here plays a huge part in the waits.