Public patients waiting four times longer than private patients for some operations at Australian public hospitals

Note that this report refers to two classes of patients accommodated in public hospitals -- public patients who are not charged and "private" patients who pay for better accommodation etc. (e.g. single rooms).  For the patient, the system offers a low-cost alternative to private hospitalization and for the hospital, the system brings in much needed revenue

Waiting times in private hospitals are another matter altogether and are often close to zero.  When I presented with kidney stones at about midday to a private hospital a few years ago, I was on the operating table only hours later.

So if they had any health insurance at all, "private" patients kept waiting would be likely to desert public hospitals for the private sector.  That is the reality behind the differences described below.  Even at their best, however, public hospitals impose long waits for treatment


The rules are simple. It doesn't matter whether you're a public patient or a health fund member, if you're a patient in a public hospital, treatment should be delivered based on clinical need not insurance status.

But the latest figures in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's Private Health Insurance Use in Australian Hospitals report tell a very different, and worrying, story.

Public patients, for some elective operations such as a cataract extraction, are waiting four times longer than privately insured patients in public hospitals – 113 days compared to 29 days.

Waiting for a tonsillectomy? Public patients have to wait three times longer – 138 days compared to 49 days.

In violation of Medicare principles enshrined in Australian health care agreements, public patients had a median waiting time of 42 days for elective surgery in 2015-16, compared to 20 days for patients who had opted to use their health insurance to cover all or part of their admission.

Health Minister Greg Hunt holds "real concerns" that the practice of public hospitals' "harvesting" private health insurance is driving up the cost of insurance premiums and pushing out waiting lists.

And the situation is getting worse. The number of privately insured patients in public hospitals has doubled in the past decade to 872,000 admissions in 2015-16.

"Data also shows that private health insurance premiums would be around 2.5 per cent lower if this practice wasn't running rampant," a spokesman for Mr Hunt said.

Hospitals are in their rights to treat privately insured patients as a means to raise revenue. However, they shouldn't be giving a certain group of patients preferential treatment. They've long insisted that the money raised is ploughed back into services, benefiting everyone.

NSW, compared to all other states and territories, had the highest proportion of privately insured patients in public hospitals, 19.9 per cent, compared to the national average of 13.9 per cent.

"The government will continue to work with the states on how we can fix this problem because nobody wins with longer waiting times," Mr Hunt's spokesman said.

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That African talent for destruction on display in Melbourne

Detroit is not alone.  Earlier versions of the report below said "70 youths, of African appearance" caused the damage.  Censors unknown have since deleted the African reference but it could at my time of writing still be found here.  Australia too has a "swamp" that is determined to keep us in the dark

Guests have trashed a million-dollar property on Melbourne's beachfront, causing upwards of $150,000 in one night.  The waterfront home in Altona, south-west Melbourne, was destroyed when about 70 youths rented out on Saturday.

Victoria Police were called to the four-bedroom home on three separate occasions on Saturday night as fights spilled out onto the street.

One neighbour described the house as a 'write-off'. 'The damage inside the house is incredible. There's not a room or place in the house that isn't destroyed, including the garage,' he told Seven News.

'It's absolutely senseless and useless vandalism, without any need,' another said.

Residents said they confronted the group early in the night, but retreated back inside their homes when pleas for order fell on deaf ears.

Photos showed massive holes in the walls, shattered glass and damaged furniture overturned and strewn throughout.

The rental, advertised as a 'beach holiday house' cost $255 per night. The house rules included 'quiet hours between 10pm and 8am'.

One neighbour claimed young men even threw rocks at passing cars on the street.

Another said the young party-goers were so out-of-control, the police 'didn't have a chance in the world'. 

Victoria Police said they were still searching for those responsible for the senseless vandalism.

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'Why are a rapist's rights more important than a victim's?'

Senator Derryn Hinch has named a convicted rapist who is feared to be stalking female doctors after escaping a transitional facility dubbed the 'Village of the Damned.'

The 40-year-old sex offender slipped away from supervision at Corella Place, on the outskirts of Ararat in south-west Victoria in August.

Since then, he has repeatedly travelled to Melbourne demanding to see only female doctors at clinics since August, according to the Herald Sun.

After a number of female GPs were put in 'dangerous' situations, Victoria Police and the Australian Medical Association issued a warning – however they are unable to name him.

But on Tuesday night, Senator Hinch used his parliamentary privilege to reveal the sex offender's identity.

'Why are a rapist's rights more important than a victim's or possible victim?' he told the Senate.

'Although he has a history of raping, stalking and assaulting women, court orders – which I believe to be dangerous, irresponsible, court orders – prevent the AMA revealing his identity to medical centres so they can stop his appointments,' he added, according to the Herald Sun.

AMA Victoria issued warnings for the convicted criminal in August and again in November after 'several' GPs had appointments with the man.

Early on Tuesday, Senator Hinch told 3AW he would name the 40-year-old in the Senate and he has previously named other sex offenders using his parliamentary privilege.

Convicted paedophiles and sex offenders are sent there where they live freely but are monitored with GPS ankle bracelets

Parliamentary privilege means members of Parliament cannot be sued or prosecuted for anything they say in debate in the houses.  But for legal reasons, the man cannot be named or pictured by the media.

The man has a history of raping, stalking and assaulting women, the Herald Sun reports. He was convicted on two counts of rape in 2008 after sexually assaulting his housemate's partner. He was also convicted of assault in 1995 and has a background of violent crimes, stalking and breaching intervention orders.

Since August, has repeatedly travelled to Melbourne demanding to see only woman doctors at clinics since August.

Victoria Police and the Australian Medical Association are warning people after several female doctors found themselves in 'dangerous and unacceptable situations'.

AMA Victoria president Lorraine Baker said more needed to be done to protect doctors from the convicted rapist. 'The police have been informed, but appear limited in their powers to assist,' she said.

'During August and November 2017, AMA Victoria has been contacted by some of our GP members who work in Melbourne's northern suburbs.'

In August, AMA Victoria sent out a short alert to members warning them of the man's behaviour.

'The male usually rings and says: 'Dr X has seen me in the past and can I make another appointment to see her',' the warning read.

'This is a serious issue. Female GPs are being exposed to dangerous and unacceptable situations in their workplaces.'

Orders demand that the man is accompanied by a supervisor when seeing female doctors but it is alleged he showed up without a supervisor to at least one consultation.

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Protesters arrested after clashes with police, fans at Milo Yiannopoulos' Sydney event

Seven protesters have been arrested after clashing with police and fans of controversial British commentator Milo Yiannopoulos at his secret Sydney event.

The protesters were later charged with offences including breach of the peace, assault police, hinder police, affray and failing to comply, a police spokeswoman said.

The function venue Le Montage in Lilyfield was heavily guarded with mounted police, officers on bicycles, riot squad, marine police and police vans barricading the event after several arrests were made at his Victorian event on Monday night.

The venue wasn't revealed until an hour before the event was scheduled to start and the surrounding streets were all closed off in the hours leading up to his scheduled speech.

The rally became violent as some protesters tried to break through police surrounding the venue and refused to listen to officers who ordered them to move off the street.

Tensions rose between police and protesters as they chanted insults at the officers and called the alt-right British speaker "Nazi scum".

Some Yiannopoulos supporters were also chased off by officers after brief conflicts with the protesters and anti-fascists.

Fans of the controversial commentator were heckled by protesters as they entered the venue, with police having to stand between the two groups.

Earlier on Tuesday, Yiannopoulos attended a Q&A session at Parliament House.

He was heckled as he entered the packed room of fans, journalists and the morbidly curious in Canberra, but there were no security issues.

The self-described "one-man wrecking crew" and "internet supervillain" was there at the invitation of Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm​.

Fights broke out at Yiannopoulos' event in Melbourne on Monday, with police forced to use pepper spray.

Mr Yiannopoulos's speeches on university campuses in the United States have sparked violent protests, and he was banned from Twitter last year amid a barrage of racist abuse directed at Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones.

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Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).    For a daily critique of Leftist activities,  see DISSECTING LEFTISM.  To keep up with attacks on free speech see Tongue Tied. Also, don't forget your daily roundup  of pro-environment but anti-Greenie  news and commentary at GREENIE WATCH .  Email me  here