General Medical issues thread

[Quickstatus]

2026

Usually they will open the "Waiting list reduction Tap" a few weeks before the next State election.

But until then, and with the decline in Private insurance rates due to the cost of living yada yada, the queues will only increase. Though the Guvment might say there are no queues because no one is allowed to make an elective surgery booking. Other states have also done a trick where if a patient is waiting after X number of months, they are deemed to no longer require the surgery so are dropped off unless they re-book.

 

[tgh]

Ramping is a hot issue in paradise and both parties are promising improvement
Libs are forecast to win the next election in a canter but whoever throws boatloads of cash it will take many years to improve.

 

[Quickstatus]

boatloads of cash

And people keep falling for that old trick. its a structural problem unfotunately.

 

[RooFlyer]

But worse, ramping, the platform on which they came to power, is at its worst ever.

Interesting. In Hobart, ramping at the Royal Hobart Hospital was similar. Caused by 'bed block' - ED patients unable to be moved on due to congestion on the wards. Then the State Government brought in a policy that an ambulance should not be ramped for more than an hour. It was called a 'ban on ramping' and generally derided when announced.

If you need an ambulance in Tasmania, this ramping 'ban' will likely affect you. Here's how it works from today

While paramedics believe the new policy to transfer patients from ambulance to hospital staff within 60 minutes will lead to better patient flow, nurses fear the emergency departments aren't ready.

www.abc.net.au

Yet it somehow has worked, sort of - some +1hr ramping still occurs, but at least the 'queue' is within the hospital and can get ambulances back on the road. ABC morning radio loves the ramping story, but I haven't heard much about it since.

 

[Quickstatus]

'queue' is within the hospital

Yes, Largely just a policy moving the ramp from outside the hospital to inside the hospital.
The corridors are now official bed spaces.

 

[drron]

Quite a few elections ago in QLD the government promised to reduce waiting lists. They did so 3 weeks before the election by cancelling everyone on the waiting lists and you needed to reapply. Perfect solution.

 

[TheRealTMA]

You'd think there'd be consistency as to how people are charged. Had no gaps for mine.

Depends on how greedy the specialists are. Mine were covered by Medicare and Medibank with just usual excess.

That’s one of the reasons I donate to Fred hollows foundation every Christmas.

 

[tgh]

its a structural problem unfotunately.

and from your perspective the solutions are ??? ( if there are any...)

 

[Quickstatus]

and from your perspective the solutions are

Here is one offering

 

[Pushka]

Usually they will open the "Waiting list reduction Tap" a few weeks before the next State election.

But until then, and with the decline in Private insurance rates due to the cost of living yada yada, the queues will only increase. Though the Guvment might say there are no queues because no one is allowed to make an elective surgery booking. Other states have also done a trick where if a patient is waiting after X number of months, they are deemed to no longer require the surgery so are dropped off unless they re-book.

Plus, trying to get a GP appointment when you are sick - ie needed urgently, is near to impossible and then there's the gap which I think at my practice is $100. So off to hospital people will toddle. I must say though I was seen within 15 minutes last May at the major PH here, despite the overcrowded waiting room. I dashed in quickly when called as I knew there was one extremely angry man behind me. He'd been waiting four hours.

Just commented on the media today. They might open up a hotel they used as Covid prison for those not needing hospital care but waiting for a bed in a care place.

JT won't see this....

(This was the place where people were shoved into if they had been naughty enough to shop at the same store as someone who later tested positive. It wasn't used a travel quarantine place. They were taken there by police. And was the reason why I stopped using QR codes when shopping and paid in cash.)

 

[Pushka]

Here is one offering

Discharge planning is so important. So much time, hours, is wasted sorting out paperwork, drugs yada that was known to be required the night before.

 

[RooFlyer]

Plus, trying to get a GP appointment when you are sick - ie needed urgently, is near to impossible

One secret I learned from my GP a while ago is that he has a couple of appointments a day kept off the on-line booking schedule, for urgent appointment requests, or, in my case, allowed for a steroi_ injection before I went away. The initial appt was for that but he found out they were out of stock and had to get more in and so had me come back. When I let the receptionist know, she double checked that it was an 'off the calendar' appointment.

 

[MARTINE]

One secret I learned from my GP a while ago is that he has a couple of appointments a day kept off the on-line booking schedule, for urgent appointment requests, or, in my case, allowed for a steroi_ injection before I went away. The initial appt was for that but he found out they were out of stock and had to get more in and so had me come back. When I let the receptionist know, she double checked that it was an 'off the calendar' appointment.

To be an accredited GP practice there must be some slots available each day for urgents. If audited a practice needs to show evidence that this is the case.

 

[Pushka]

One secret I learned from my GP a while ago is that he has a couple of appointments a day kept off the on-line booking schedule, for urgent appointment requests, or, in my case, allowed for a steroi_ injection before I went away. The initial appt was for that but he found out they were out of stock and had to get more in and so had me come back. When I let the receptionist know, she double checked that it was an 'off the calendar' appointment.

To be an accredited GP practice there must be some slots available each day for urgents. If audited a practice needs to show evidence that this is the case.

Thats really good to know. Especially for kids. Trouble was, I needed it for a hacking chest cough and we know how that would have gone down.

 

[RooFlyer]

To be an accredited GP practice there must be some slots available each day for urgents.

Is that across the practice, as a whole?

 

[MARTINE]

Is that across the practice, as a whole?

Yes - the practice gets accreditation as a whole

 

[Quickstatus]

Discharge planning is so important

And they get rid of ward clerks who can streamline all that.

Technology still does not exist where discharge planning can be streamlined.

One improvement is the EScript Apps on mobile phones. I tell patients to not use the hospital pharmac_ to get discharge scripts because the wait is terrible. Costs me $60/month for unlimited scripts

 

[RooFlyer]

One improvement is the EScript Apps on mobile phones.

No.

My first one: Wouldn't open without some other thing on the iPhone. Pharmacist had to show me a 'work around'.

Then, I couldn't see how many repeats I had left. Next time I went in I got them to print it out, and now I have an A4 page stapled with my other scripts.

Back to paper from then on. Plus, I can photograph these when I go overseas to demonstrate prescription, if necessary.

Plus it was the damn eScript lot who had the data breach. They are one more organisation who I don't have to give my personal info to.

 

[Quickstatus]

They might open up a hotel they used as Covid prison for those not needing hospital care but waiting for a bed in a care place.

Thought bubble without substance. Where are they going to find the RN or are they going to pay megabucks to a contractor who then makes profits which could have gone toward a sustainable solution

 

[Quickstatus]

Then, I couldn't see how many repeats I had left

My app sends a sms link . A single click on the link (which is a link to an internet based server) show something like this. And everytime a repeat is filled a new link is sent which shows repeats remaining.

Easy enough to screenshot it. Since CrowdStrike I'm telling people to immediately take a screenshot as a backup.