It’s new so I’m new
Hi everyone, I’ve been diagnosed with DCIS on October 3rd. Left side. By my next appointment on the 22nd I’m supposed to decide on whether to have a lumpectomy or mastectomy. And then surgery is m...
Forum Discussion
It's a shame you had a shitty time @Joannie but not all public patients have to put up with that. Yes, the reconstruction waiting list is very long I agree and really needs to be addressed. If you feel you are not getting the best treatment all you need to do is speak up. Nobody has to put up with it. There are processes, nurse unit managers, nurse navigators, liason officers that will get it sorted.
To lump the whole public system and all hospitals into the same category is not appropriate, especially for people to read who have no other option than to go public. We are incredibly lucky in Australia to have the public system that we do and the breast cancer treatment train is a very well oiled machine here.
I have heard some shitty stories from the private sector as well, it depends who's running the show I guess, like everything.
I am not sure which hospital you went to (which sounds like it needs an overhaul) but Cat 1 where I am goes on the urgency of the referral not after the planning. If you have cancer you are cat 1 from day 1. It may take a few weeks to get any extra scans, tests etc sorted out but as soon as you are ready you are in. Theatre lists are shuffled and rearranged to make room for urgent cases.
No, it's not the Hilton but all our ladies and gentlemen with breast or prostate cancer will be give a private room (we have 17) unless there was not another single bed available in the whole hospital . In wich case the bed manager, NUM's of the surgical wards, breast care nurses and theatre booking department would all work together to fix the problem. Never would a female be put into a shared male room for something like that or vice versa. Everything is planned the afternoon before for the next day as to what patients are having theatre and where they need to be on the ward in relation to the surgery they are having and any other existing health problems they may have.
There are many surgeons who work both public and private as do some nurses. I am sure they don't go to work saying "I don't care about these patients because they are public patients but tomorrow I am working private so I'll care about them" .
The vast majority of nurses (sure there's a grumpy one here and there) I have worked with or been treated by in any hospital are good, hardworking, caring people who really don't get paid enough for the job they do and some of the asshole patients they have to deal with.
To lump the whole public system and all hospitals into the same category is not appropriate, especially for people to read who have no other option than to go public. We are incredibly lucky in Australia to have the public system that we do and the breast cancer treatment train is a very well oiled machine here.
I have heard some shitty stories from the private sector as well, it depends who's running the show I guess, like everything.
I am not sure which hospital you went to (which sounds like it needs an overhaul) but Cat 1 where I am goes on the urgency of the referral not after the planning. If you have cancer you are cat 1 from day 1. It may take a few weeks to get any extra scans, tests etc sorted out but as soon as you are ready you are in. Theatre lists are shuffled and rearranged to make room for urgent cases.
No, it's not the Hilton but all our ladies and gentlemen with breast or prostate cancer will be give a private room (we have 17) unless there was not another single bed available in the whole hospital . In wich case the bed manager, NUM's of the surgical wards, breast care nurses and theatre booking department would all work together to fix the problem. Never would a female be put into a shared male room for something like that or vice versa. Everything is planned the afternoon before for the next day as to what patients are having theatre and where they need to be on the ward in relation to the surgery they are having and any other existing health problems they may have.
There are many surgeons who work both public and private as do some nurses. I am sure they don't go to work saying "I don't care about these patients because they are public patients but tomorrow I am working private so I'll care about them" .
The vast majority of nurses (sure there's a grumpy one here and there) I have worked with or been treated by in any hospital are good, hardworking, caring people who really don't get paid enough for the job they do and some of the asshole patients they have to deal with.