Great moments in medicine
Cherub has been having a few problems with his digestion. We know what the problem is because Bundle had the same problem. He'll grow out of it just like Bundle did, but we need to deal with the symptoms until that happens. So, we needed a referral to the same pediatrician who helped us out with Bundle's problems. Let's call him Dr Good-at-it.
Since all we needed was the referral, Honey Bear took Cherub down to the nearest bulk billing clinic. Her conversation with someone who was actually a doctor went something like this:
Honey Bear: We need a referral to Dr Good-at-it. Cherub's haveing problems with his tummy
Actual Doctor: Can I see his tummy?
[Honey Bear lifts up Cherub's shirt]
[Actual Doctor glances at the area surrounding Cherub's belly button]
[Actual Doctor WRITES THE REFERRAL]
Fin
Yes, that really is the whole scene.
You know our health is in safe hands when a doctor is thorough enough to carefully check that a child has something between his hips and his ribs before referring him to a specialist to deal with the problem.
If anyone except Honey Bear had told me this story, I would have suggested rather strongly that they were making it up. Except that no-one could possibly think this up unless it had really happened.
From watching Grey's Anatomy, I have learned that the correct medical term to be used in such a situation is "Seriously? SERIOUSLY?!!?!"
Since all we needed was the referral, Honey Bear took Cherub down to the nearest bulk billing clinic. Her conversation with someone who was actually a doctor went something like this:
Honey Bear: We need a referral to Dr Good-at-it. Cherub's haveing problems with his tummy
Actual Doctor: Can I see his tummy?
[Honey Bear lifts up Cherub's shirt]
[Actual Doctor glances at the area surrounding Cherub's belly button]
[Actual Doctor WRITES THE REFERRAL]
Fin
Yes, that really is the whole scene.
You know our health is in safe hands when a doctor is thorough enough to carefully check that a child has something between his hips and his ribs before referring him to a specialist to deal with the problem.
If anyone except Honey Bear had told me this story, I would have suggested rather strongly that they were making it up. Except that no-one could possibly think this up unless it had really happened.
From watching Grey's Anatomy, I have learned that the correct medical term to be used in such a situation is "Seriously? SERIOUSLY?!!?!"
posted by I'm not Craig at 6:40 AM
4 Comments:
And that's in stark contrast to emergency rooms, INCraig, where they won't even take a kiddle's temperature until you've sat there for seven hours. I think that emergency rooms (except in the most severe cases) are the medical equivalent of a game of "chicken"...and I'm always the one to blink first.
Gotta love that instant referral.
INC, it is very unfortunate that the current MBS (Medicare Benefits Schedule) is set up so that at for a bulk-billing clinic to be able to provide 'free' care to all-comers, they need to see patients at a rate of about 10/hour, which precludes any sort of good medicine.
Conversely, at a private-billing clinic, the doctor gets no more money from Medicare for seeing you for 19min 59s minutes than they would seeing you for 6min 01s, so the difference in earnings is made up for by charging large fees.
You gets what you pays for until the government is game enough to restructure the MBS - and Roxon's talking like she might give it a go!
Mr INC, I am looking quite forward to the FANCA&MGCUATIB. I know I'll enjoy the MGC especially because I'm heaps awesome at looking at things and also writing letters.
Kind regards,
Adam
Committee Member of First Annual Not Craig Anonymous and Medical Graduation Ceremony under a tree in Botswana.
Giggles
I have found that Emergency Rooms can be pretty efficient if you take a small baby with you and scream gastro. Working the phrase "I'm a medical negligence lawyer" into your description of the symptoms doesn't hurt any either.
Groves
Let's hope Ms Roxon gives it a go. Any health policy would have to be better than the one thet took to the last election. I am a huge Julia Gillard fan, but Medicare Gold was either foisted on her by some too clever by half leader, or it was a lapse in her sanity.
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This is clearly the sweetest plan ever. But which tree?
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