The Royal Adelaide Hospital

I  retired as a consultant surgeon in the National Health Service in the UK and migrated to Australia last year.
I had the misfortune of having to attend an out patient appointment at the Royal Adelaide Hospital this week.  The appointment was for 11:30 am. I registered at the clinic at 11:15 and sat in the waiting area till 12:15 pm and was still not called. I noticed that many patients who came after me and had appointment later than me were called up. I approached the nurse and pointed this out to her. She informed me that it was the discretion of the doctor as to whether on not to follow the appoint system. I was amazed at this attitude. Do the doctors think that they are God. Is Medical Practice in Australia still in the Medieval Period.

In contrast where I practice medicine in the UK, if there was even 10 or 15 minutes delay they nurses would apologise to the patients and explain the cause of the delay. There was no such apology or explanation. There was hostility towards me because I had the audacity to complain.  Medicine has moved a long way from the era of Sir Lancelot Spratt when doctors could decide what to do without an explanation to the patient.

The New Royal Adelaide Hospital is being built at a cost of 2.1 billion dollars. What the hospital need is not a new building but a New and Changed Attitude towards their patients.