difference between private and public healthcare

ceridwyn · Mar 12, 2012

Hi, My partner and I are looking to move to Melbourne from England and are seeking advice on the healthcare system in Australia. For instance what is the difference between private and public healthcare and the advantages/disadvantages of working in each. We would be grateful of any advice in this area such as the best way to go about applying for jobs. Many thanks for any information in advance.

Public is very union orientated. Run by each state health system, the nurses awards are different state to state as well.

If patient ratios are in the award then public hospitals abide by this.

Private hospitals however do their own negiotations? as a group every few years with their employer and therefore their penalities and hourly rate is usually always a dollar or 2 lower than the public award.

Aged care is less pay again up to about 5-10 dollars hourly rate than their private hospital and public acute colleagues.

Private hosptals do not have patient ratios, even in the states that have ratios in the public. Though many 'good' hospitals do try and keep up with this, as they know - better patient outcomes and to keep good staff.

The bottome line usually private hospitals RN wages are 1-2 dollars less and they can be a heavier workload than a public hospital.

You may not have to be too fussy at the moment, if you want a sponsorship visa and do not have permanent residency visa, overseas nurses are swarming Australia at this time and jobs are diminishing.

Ball park for a nurse, no extra responsiblities, work on wards, for most states between

$25-00 to $35-00 an hour, afos 20.00 extra a shift, night shift 50.00 extra a shift weekends - time and a half, some states pay double time on sundays - not victoria.

Public holidays double time.

The other big thing, for me, in private hospitals males and females are not in the same ward if the room is multiple beds and nott a single - something I still cannot get my head around.

Public hospitals, nurse males and females together, regardless of age, behaviour, etc etc. especially when one of our responsibilities is to protect privacy and dignity, something you cannot maintain when you have one patient with dementia yelliing for assistance and usually throwing clothes off and in the other bed is a younger person, just back from surgery.

j8win · Mar 30, 2012

Nsw hourly rate depends on number of years of experience. I have a friend working in ICU in a private hospital with previous 4 yrs experience and he gets 28dollars an hour while my other friend in a private aged care dementia unit with previous 8 yrs experience currently receiving 34 dollars an hour plus penalties when she work night shift or weekend.