(no subject)

[kiwisue]

I have a day off work today for the first time in ages, so I finally got myself organised to have a haircut. I'd been putting it off because long hair seemed simpler to manage when I knew I was going to have a chunk of skin removed from my neck, then afterwards I didn't want to knock the scar around while it was healing. But all is well now & I made an appointment with a new hairdresser, Nivarna in Springwood. New hairdressers are tricksy things, but I was very happy with this one. She gave my scalp a lovely, firm massage, asked very direct questions about what I wanted & made some suggestions, none of them too "out there" for me (I'm always wary of the ones that want you to have perms or foils on the first visit). She was impressed by the amount of waviness in my hair and did things with a curling iron and some lovely smelling stuff which meant I came out looking slightly (very slightly!) like Joyce Summers (the more natural version). Rather nice, although I don't think I can maintain it like this.

While we were chatting she told me I was lucky to get an appointment, as they're usually booked up three weeks in advance. There's a shortage of good hairdressers, apparently! We then talked about living in the Blue Mountains and she wondered if I'd found a doctor yet. That's the other big shortage. You have to be lucky to find one that's got a vacancy and even then you can wait weeks for an appointment. I don't have one yet, after 3 years, and I've been going down to the medical centre on the plains the few times I've needed a certificate or a referral. They aren't the best, but they do what I need. I was amused by the connection though - doctors and hairdressers, who would have thought it?

Comments

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Doctors and hairdressers! Three years to register with a doctor?! Ye gads... Is that an Australia-wide thing, or is it in your region particularly? I'm just... gads!

Huw Evans icon, cos he's training to be a doctor... *g*

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

It's a thing around here. I've heard some say it's because we're assessed with Penrith (town centre down the hill on t'other side of the river) for incentive schemes that help people set up practice in areas of need, so we don't get the funding. They're talking about funding a superclinic, but that'll be up the road a way.

I've heard there's one (male) local doctor still taking patients in a nearby suburb, but I've never tried him because there's still the wait for appointments thing and I've never needed more than antibiotics-and-a-medical-certificate or a referral, which I can get at Emu Plains. And I should get myself organised and go to a woman Dr near my work for my (overdue) pap smear because there's no shortage of them around the hospital...

When I lived in Hurstville there were 3 or 4 medical centres to choose from, and you just dropped in & waited a while.

And hee! for Dr-to-be Huw!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh gawd - it's about funding not people shortages... quel surpris... It's funny, there's always talk here of all the problems with the NHS etc - people forget that private medicine has problems too! (Mind you, I know it's a mixture of private and national over there - is it one end or t'other that's causing the problems? And feel free to remind me that you're home from work now! *g*)

ETA - and just think, Huw would be an older, respectable (?!) doctor now... *g*

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

Maybe he'd like to emigrate then? *g*

TBH I'm not absolutely certain about the doctor problem. In addition to the hearsay I mentioned above, some others say the universities aren't training enough people, and there was something about provider numbers here; a bit old, and surely they would have done something about it by now. But I do think the costs of equipping and running a practice have a lot to do with it, plus the doctors themselves preferring to work in areas closer to where they live.

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Well makes sense to me... it's difficult to manage without either!

I'm glad you like your new hairdresser as finding one you're comfortable with can be really difficult. Actually, come think of it that's another way in which they're similar! *g*

Although I usually just go to the hairdressers for a quick "mow." The wonders of curly hair. *sigh*

There are enormous amounts of doctors and medical centres here, but then an enormous percentage of the population can't afford to go to them and the ones who can pay through the nose. A recent trip to A&E, when MG got bitten by the ant and had a reaction would have cost us $1500 dollars if we hadn't had medical insurance.

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

I love hairdressers that make good suggestions. I never know what I want, or what will look best, so I want help. But I also don't want to come out looking like, well, not me. *g* I had one once who plunked me down with a book of styles and told me to look through them. Ack. How was I supposed to translate that to me? *g*

It sounds like a nice day off work--just getting things done!

[sunray45.livejournal.com]

The Doctor shortage is a very sore point with me at the moment. I have been laid very low with the flu and needed a Doctor last Sunday. Great service from Medi-Call, who send a doc to the house, but they don't know me.

Tried to get an appointment yesterday with my Doctor, as antibiotics were playing havoc with my innards, only to be told that my doc plus the two others at the local medical centre, had retired. Now this centre is being serviced by Doctors from another Medical Centre in the next suburb, one each day.

Queensland Health says our area is not in need of more Doctors and no more Provider Numbers are being given out. Wish to hell they'd take the blinkers off!! There has been a huge increase in population since the Centre opened, now it is virtually closed.

I had to go to the next suburb, wait two hours feeling like sh*t, just to see a Doctor. At least they have all my records on their computers.

Sorry. Rant over.