Doctors working at Flinders?

[Guest Dr Scotland]

Hello! My wife, daughter and I are flying out August 19th this year. Very excited! I've got a job in the ED at Flinders. Just wondering if there are any other doctors or nurses on here who work in the ED at Flinders or the RAH? Keen to find out what emergency medicine is like there - or medicine altogether. Or your experience as a patient. Cheers, Simon

[Guest Guest6899]

Hi, I work on AMU which is next to A&E and have been sent there to do reliever shifts on occasion. Sorry cant answer any of your questions ref ED but good luck with your move.

 

Lisa

[malkitek]

Hi,

I have just got a new job as TIA nurse at the RAH, and have been spending a lot of time in ther ED. All staff have been incredibly lovely, it seems very well organised and well staffed! Hopefully Flinders would be the same!

Good luck

Gill x

[Guest Dr Scotland]

Thanks for the info.

Lisa, how does the AMU work there? Is there a 4-hour target or similar by which time patients have to leave the ED and be picked up by a specialty/go to the AMU?

And to both of you - is it better than working in the NHS???!! I'm on a 12-day stretch just now, covering an 8-ward rehab hospital by myself this weekend, where I only work one weekend a month.....mental....One of the registrars who works here is from Melbourne and she can't believe how poorly staffed we are, both doctors- and nurses-wise.

[Gollywobbler]

Thanks for the info.

Lisa, how does the AMU work there? Is there a 4-hour target or similar by which time patients have to leave the ED and be picked up by a specialty/go to the AMU?

And to both of you - is it better than working in the NHS???!! I'm on a 12-day stretch just now, covering an 8-ward rehab hospital by myself this weekend, where I only work one weekend a month.....mental....One of the registrars who works here is from Melbourne and she can't believe how poorly staffed we are, both doctors- and nurses-wise.

 

Hi Dr Scotland

 

I am a lawyer, not a medic of any description. I am also a cynical old bag.

 

In Australia, they have a most peculiar concept. Apparently, the Australian Idea is that medics should treat a sick person quickly and keep them alive rather than b*ggering around watching clocks and filling out forms instead. They tend to regard it as being quite a Quite Good idea to try to keep the Aged patients alive.

 

Which is where I, personally, enter the fray. My mother is now 91 and she now lives in Perth, WA. The Medicare doctors and nurses can't do enough for her. The NHS would have killed her off years ago, for sure. They might not actively have hastened her death but the NHS sure wouldn't have done anything to lengthen her life, my old son.

 

It INFURIATES me that successive British Governments have allowed the NHS to become so crummy. I have high BP - inherited from Mum. I ought to take pills but I don't bother. Why not? I don't bother because I would prefer to die quickly from a heart attack than to b*gger around with the NHS. My GP is an absolute darling - she puts up with me, for one thing!

 

However, she doesn't argue when I point out that I am actually more likely to drop down dead from an entirely unrelated infection in Southampton General - which is just plain filthy, especially in the patients' loos - than anywhere else.

 

I have become resigned to the idea that me and Medicine do not mix because I live in the UK. Unlike Call Me Dave, I am not a millionaire because I didn't inherit as much wealth from my Dad as he did from his Dad.

 

I'm female so occasionally I have a vague wander about, looking for lumps. However, even if I found one I wouldn't do anything about it because I believe that Mind Over Matter has become a lot stronger than the NHS.

 

It is appalling and I think that you would do much better to go out to Oz than to stay in the UK.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Guest sarahtwinn82]

Hi,

I'm a nurse at Flinders Private hospital and the good thing about FMC is if a patient has private medical insurance they are quickly assessed and shipped over to us especially chest pain we have a wonderful Chest pain centre, the triage nurse at FMC will just get private patients wheeled through immediatly, your on a monitor , bloods taken, a full experienced cardiac team around you within minutes of walking through the door. FMC ED is having a major overall at the minute so it vaguely resembles a builders yard but as long as you follow the temporary signs don't the right make shift corridor you can guarantee good care.

 

Well hope that bit of info was of some help and please note I didn't rave on about the bad NHS whilst totally missing the point of your quiery.....lol...I think you know what I mean.

[tinkertailerdog]

They've just spent $175m doing FMC up so it (well, some of it) looks nice and they're spending $2.5b building a new RAH....that's about all i know about them

[Gollywobbler]

Hi,

I'm a nurse at Flinders Private hospital and the good thing about FMC is if a patient has private medical insurance they are quickly assessed and shipped over to us especially chest pain we have a wonderful Chest pain centre, the triage nurse at FMC will just get private patients wheeled through immediatly, your on a monitor , bloods taken, a full experienced cardiac team around you within minutes of walking through the door. FMC ED is having a major overall at the minute so it vaguely resembles a builders yard but as long as you follow the temporary signs don't the right make shift corridor you can guarantee good care.

 

Well hope that bit of info was of some help and please note I didn't rave on about the bad NHS whilst totally missing the point of your quiery.....lol...I think you know what I mean.

 

Au contraire, I have NOT ignored the point of the good doctor's query. He is in the UK and he wants to know whether or not he should move out to Oz. How can one discuss that without discussing the NHS?

 

I must admit that I am not pleased to hear (from you) that SA is so discriminatory about treating private patients better than it treats Medicare patients. Luckily, my own family has not had a similarly unfortunate experience in WA.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Rachiegarlo]

We have just been involved with Flinders for a week, going in through ED. Yes it is a public ED and it does get busy, but my hubby was seen quickly and treated very well. The doctors and nurses all seemed cheerful and not stressed ( it wasn't busy). During the week that my hubby was incarcerated at Flinders' pleasure he received professional care from both medical and nursing staff. Sure he didn't have a private room and had to share with oldies, sure the decor wasn't snazzy but the care was 100%. I work at the WCH and our doctors and nursing staff in the main are able to do their utmost to care for the patients. There is paperwork, but there is time to have a personal face to the healthcare service.

[Guest Guest6899]

Thanks for the info.

Lisa, how does the AMU work there? Is there a 4-hour target or similar by which time patients have to leave the ED and be picked up by a specialty/go to the AMU?

And to both of you - is it better than working in the NHS???!! I'm on a 12-day stretch just now, covering an 8-ward rehab hospital by myself this weekend, where I only work one weekend a month.....mental....One of the registrars who works here is from Melbourne and she can't believe how poorly staffed we are, both doctors- and nurses-wise.

 

Hi yes A&E does have a target i believe its the same 4hrs (sorry dont get involved in all that) but it seems far more organised back at home. most admissions go to the relevant wards or come to AMU for assessment, then they are either long stay, short stay or private patients and moved accordingly. As for your comment on the NHS, no comparison.. My unit (still AMU) in the uk was chaotic, i would have up to 14 very acutely ill patients, i was stressed continually at home at work just had to get out. here i have 4 patients, all staff are qualified even EN's do meds on our wards.. im not saying it isnt busy at times im run off my feet but no where like the uk. Personally i dont think i could work for the NHS again i would just leave nursing if i returned to the UK.

 

Lisa

[malkitek]

Hi,

Much as I love the NHS, or more the people that work in it, it is so much better here as a worker. The RAH ED has a four hour rule, but they have put in a lot of systems to try to make this more reasonable. ( like a TIA rapid assessment clinic soon to be starting when I get my act together!) I do only see it mon to fri daytime but it's busy but quiet and calm.

Can't see how it would be a bad move!

Good Luck,

Gill x

[Guest Peachie]

The pay is better and the work load is much easier here Would rather work in tesco than go back to the NHS even have time to talk to my patients!!! The Doctors on my unit order coffee while reviewing xrays and everyone gets a lunch break I have been spoilt with proper meal breaks and work with people who are not sick and stressed all the time as a result have learnt to enjoy my job again

[Guest Dr Scotland]

P.S. Keep meaning to sign my name....it's Simon.

[taffordbark]

My cousins husban is head of E D at flinders,I will have a word and post when I have spoken to him

[Hayshake]

Have to say that we have just experienced Flinders Emergency department this last Tuesday, after being referred by our Doctor. We arrived at 4.30pm to be told we were the next to be seen as it was quiet. Suddenly Ambulances started arriving 3 by 3, and before we knew it we were deep in patients on stretchers and beds waiting to be seen. We eventually moved through to a cubicle to be seen after about 21/2 hours. To cut a long story short, we had good medical care once it arrived, but were only released at 2.15am the next morning. The staff nurses only appeared to be looking after 4 patients each, but seemed to do quite long shifts, as did the doctors, and all appeared very tired. We would not complain about having to wait, as our problem was not urgent, but I would admit to being very hungry when we left, as we were not sure how long we were expected to be there, and no food was forthcoming.