Public Hospital, Sydney North Shore - Did We Make The Wrong Choice?

kiitos on 20/12/2017 - 22:02

My wife has recently had symptoms of a viral infection, with temperature, and cough and rash. Her liver tests have been high, and its complicated by a chronic auto-immune condition. The GP strongly recommended going to a hospital - which for us means either Hornsby, Royal North Shore or the SAN. We opted for Hornsby (even though the GP seemed a bit negative about it).

It has been slow going today, the triage nurse seemed to scoff at her coming in for this, but she has been admitted. Tests have been slow to come, they're not really sure what the cause of the problem is. She has been admitted as a private patient, but looks like no private rooms available as she's still in a (full) shared ward. She hasn't

Should we have chosen Royal North Shore instead? We've been to Hornsby years ago when our child was a baby, and it seemed good.

Or should we have gone to the SAN (private)? I realise it would cost us (how much would an emergency admission cost?) but would we have received better care?

At home, worrying about my wife, so thought an Ozbargain post to see if we should choose differently in future.

POLL: GIVEN THE CHOICE, WHICH HOSPITAL WOULD YOU CHOOSE FOR AN EMERGENCY?

Poll Options

  • 1
    Hornsby (public)
  • 29
    Royal North Shore (public)
  • 4
    SAN (private)
Health & Beauty

Comments

  • iChopstick on 20/12/2017 - 22:13
    +1

    No experience with SAN, but between Royal North Shore and Hornsby, I recommend Royal North Shore.
    Source: My wife is a nurse and has worked at both hospitals.

  • pao2x on 20/12/2017 - 22:19
    +3

    RNSH.

    Ps: I worked on all of them

    An emergency room presentation in the SAN is $300 on top of top level cover just to be seen. Everything else extra

  • Amaris on 20/12/2017 - 22:30
    +1

    No guarantee of a single room at a public hospital. RNSH is a tertiary so has more in house facilities / specialities than Hornsby.
    With the SAN the Emergency fees are waived when you get admitted.

  • mskeggs on 20/12/2017 - 22:40

    Given the poll, I would ask the Ambo to take me to whichever was closest if I needed emergency care.
    But it sounds like you believe your wife has a virus.
    So the treatment is to get better, making sure she is hydrated etc. while her immune system cranks up and fights it.
    I realise a virus is concerning if your wife has other medical issues that may interfere, but it is not a priority for treatment unless there is something to treat! What you have described seems like a normal immune response to a virus.

    Is the substance of your post:
    - spouse has a virus, cautious doctor said go to hospital.
    - hospital has not invented a treatment for a virus they are holding back from mankind and spouse is in no apparent danger, so there is no especial treatment.
    - we didn't get a private room

    I guess I am failing to see what you are thinking would be done differently elsewhere. I suppose if other hospitals weren't busy they might give you a private room and bored staff might be more attentive?
    You haven't really articulated what your concern is except that she is in a shared ward.

    • kiitos on 20/12/2017 - 23:05

      Yes, I realised my post wasn't conveying what I was meaning and instead sounded like a whinge, but I seemed to get an error when I tried to edit it later so I left it as is in case it affected the poll.

      My main aim was to find out if the public hospitals in our area have a markedly different reputation, as if that's the case, we would have (as yes, we did have a choice as it was the GP's recommendation to go to a hospital) gone to the one with the best rep in the area.

      My other aim was to find if the experience we've had is normal. I would guess it is, but we haven't had much experience with hospitals to date.

      The private room thing wasn't a whinge, as we didn't even consider it until they came to us later asking if we wanted to be admitted as a private patient if it doesn't involve out of pocket, so we said sure. Maybe the fact that they put the stipulation of "not out of pocket" ruled out a private room? I don't know. I think it merely stuck in my mind as at that point, we hadn't seen a doctor yet and as each person that came up to us, we hoped that one was the doctor, and this one wasn't one either…

      The unspoken part of my post was a frustration that my wife has been seen by three GPs (in the same practice) over the past week due to a variety of blood tests, and each has diagnosed something different to the others (virus vs drug reaction vs hepatitis). The GP that recommended going to hospital probably was overly cautious, but my wife wanted some relief, even though recovery from the virus would be, as you said, letting it take its course. But it was the spiked LFTs that concerned the GP and he freaked us out somewhat. Then the doctor in the hospital pooh-poohed the viral diagnosis, but he's not sure what it is.

      • Thrawn on 20/12/2017 - 23:12

        Private patient doesn't necessarily mean private room. First priority in public hospital is the patients with the medical need for a private room gets it (regardless if admitted as public or private).

        In public hospitals its fairly common to get stuck in the ED waiting for a bed to become available in the main wards.

      • mskeggs on 21/12/2017 - 14:10

        I hope she is feeling better!

        • kiitos on 21/12/2017 - 22:03

          Not yet unfortunately, and still no diagnosis, still testing.

  • resubaehtgnolhcs on 20/12/2017 - 23:05

    She has been admitted as a private patient

    Doesn't this mean that you will be up for costs, even though you are in a public hospital? DO you have health insurance?

    • kiitos on 20/12/2017 - 23:07

      I don't think so, given they mentioned "no out of pocket" (see the post I submitted above a few seconds after yours). Yes, we have PHI.

      • resubaehtgnolhcs on 20/12/2017 - 23:10

        Ok, it's good that you have PHI in this case. I have been to the SAN as an emergency patient, and as stated before it is a $300 charge before they will even see you, then whatever other additional charges that apply (e.g pathology etc), but the level of care was exceptional and expensive. I have also had mediocre experience with Hornsby hospital in their emergency department, and if I had a choice I would go to RNSH for the reason mentioned already.

  • peterpeterpumpkin on 20/12/2017 - 23:16

    You never know. Luck o' the draw really. I'm no fan of RNS due to personal history (might be unjustified), but my negative opinion was reinforced by an article that was published in 2012 (http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/litany-of-failure-horror-hospital-…). I have no experience of the others.

    Is there a hospital where doctors haven't underslept?

    • kiitos on 20/12/2017 - 23:23

      Funny you should say that - I was rear-ended (minor) one night by a doctor who said he nodded off after a long shift. This was northbound on the Pacific Hwy at Lindfield , so probably from RNS!

  • haboutnnah on 20/12/2017 - 23:18
    +2

    Whichever's closer. Hornsby and RNS have treated me well when I had to go to either.

  • owencom on 21/12/2017 - 20:30

    I have been to the 3 Hospitals. 5 years back Hornsby came close to killing me twice. I attended emergency conveying I was having a heart attack. After a long wait they did some tests and after 6 hours sent me home insisting I had not had a heart attack and to go home and take panadeine for the back pain which I did. The next night I awoke with a shocking feeling and again went back to Hornsby Hospital. After insisting immediate treatment and saying I am having a heart attack as I could not even stand, they found I was having a massive heart attack and proceeded to give drugs. Consequently they made mistakes by giving blood pressure lowering medicine and nitroglycerin after we expressly told them I have low blood pressure. This had the effect of me passing out. They panicked and gave other drugs to counteract it and then arranged an ambulance to take me to RNS.

    Arriving at RNS they had a team waiting and had the problem sorted in 20 minutes by inserting a stent. The angiogram clearly showed the problem and the doctors were surprised I survived. The next 4 days at RNS I was so well looked after by all the staff. I certainly recommend RNS.

    On 2 occasions recently I have had to take parents to emergency at the SAN. Yes it is expensive however the level of care is well worth it.

    After my brief encounters with Hornsby Hospital I have heard many horror stories like my own. I will NEVER go back there or take a family member there even though I live 2 minutes away.

    A recent experience looking after someone at Gosford public Hospital is on par with Hornsby and would definitely stay clear.
    Again huge misdiagnosis by incompetent staff which cost them their life

    • mskeggs on 21/12/2017 - 20:42

      What was the outcome into the investigation of this?

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join