Emergency departments across Australia are being stretched thin with ‘ambulance ramping’ (ambulances having to wait with patients for long periods due to waiting for beds) common in some cities.
Access to certain specialists such as paediatricians and ENTs (ear nose throat doctors) and any ‘elective surgery’ in the public system have long waiting periods based on how you’re triaged. The problem there is that when people aren’t seen in a timely manner, mild conditions become worse.
As mentioned by others, dentists aren’t generally accessible in the public system although a minority do public work. Children can have dental treatment under Medicare at no cost to parents which is good for families.
There’s plenty of other problems, but I can only speak of good things of the public system based on my own anecdotal experiences and those of my family.
Emergency departments across Australia are being stretched thin with ‘ambulance ramping’ (ambulances having to wait with patients for long periods due to waiting for beds) common in some cities.
Access to certain specialists such as paediatricians and ENTs (ear nose throat doctors) and any ‘elective surgery’ in the public system have long waiting periods based on how you’re triaged. The problem there is that when people aren’t seen in a timely manner, mild conditions become worse.
As mentioned by others, dentists aren’t generally accessible in the public system although a minority do public work. Children can have dental treatment under Medicare at no cost to parents which is good for families.
There’s plenty of other problems, but I can only speak of good things of the public system based on my own anecdotal experiences and those of my family.