Bupa Australia and Healthscope have announced they have reached a two-year in-principal agreement to ensure Bupa customers will continue to experience no additional out of pocket expenses when receiving care at a Healthscope hospital. This agreement ensures Bupa...
The Australian newspaper recently reported “Households are suffering the worst decline in living standards since the 1950s with the fall in real disposable income eclipsing those of the last four major recessions including the 1970s inflation crisis and the Covid-19...
We have been getting phone calls from patients who are insured with BUPA or AHSA and who are booked for confinement at Norwest Private Hospital. AHSA funds are ACA Health Benefits Fund, AIA Health Insurance, Australian Unity Health Limited, CBHS Corporate Health Pty...
My accountancy firm (Cutcher and Neale) each day email me a general financial news update. A portion of yesterday’s email is below. It is published with Cutcher and Neal's permission. The information very much supports my decision to reintroduce our ‘No Gap Pregnancy...
Patients ask me at their postnatal visits, from time to time: ”How long should I wait before having another baby?” While there are no set rules, there are considerations that you should think about before trying again. My personal opinion is that about 18 to 24 months...
Newly pregnancy multiparous patients sometimes ask me: "Can I still breastfeed while I am pregnant?” For many women breastfeeding gives them great joy, as well as being a healthy source of nutrition for their infant. The simple answer is: “Yes.” A women can continue...
My previous blog “The cost-of-living crisis is prompting many women to defer having a baby.” has prompted comments and discussion about how women are deferring pregnancies because of current cost of living pressures. That is very sad. When it is on woman’s heart to...
Many women are putting off having a baby because of the costs both of pregnancy management and afterwards, once baby is delivered. The family finances of so many are already stretched, and they are struggling and so the thinking is adding the cost of a baby is...
We are getting an increasing number of calls from uninsured women asking how much it will cost to have their babies as private patients. This was expected. More people are dropping out of health funds or not taking up health insurance because of increasing financial...
I compared my baby weight estimate from ultrasound scan measurements at the last antenatal visit for patients over a 3-month period with actual birth weights. My scan estimates of weight averaged only 8.14% variation from actual birth weights. In 89% of cases my scan...
The cost of essentials has been increasing dramatically. That is putting considerable financial pressure on couples. So many are now struggling to pay their mortgage, rent, electricity and gas bills, food, other essential household goods, etc. It is very difficult...
Yesterday a Westmead Public Hospital nurse who I know was telling me her brother’s partner recently had a baby at Westmead Private Hospital. She was not insured. She said she was charged $4000 for her management fee and another $4000 for her delivery fee. The...
I have recently had several uninsured patients deliver where ‘out of pocket’ expenses were far more than they anticipated because of pregnancy complications or adverse health developments not related to pregnancy. While out of pocket expenses in pregnancy are usually...
Sadly the very popular Swaddle program is ending. The last day for bookings for the HCF - San Swaddle program is 31 January, 2023. That means you must be pregnant and have registered through the San for the Swaddle program before the 1st February 2023. So if you are...
“New eligibility criteria starting 1 December 2021 require HCF members to have held pregnancy and birth related cover with HCF for 12 months by the date of the baby's birth.” If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant very soon and planning to take advantage of...
The Hospital advises… After 1 December 2021, patients must have held obstetrics cover exclusively with HCF for 12 months prior to their baby's birth to qualify for the Swaddle program. Previously, patients have been able to switch from a different health fund into HCF...
More midwives are being appointed so that there is a higher staff to patient ratio and better support of new mums. Dedicated Postnatal Lactation Consultant Service commencing 10 May. Breastfeeding room reopened. Maternity / Birth Unit tours have recommenced. Tours are...
I have recently been invited to participate in a survey about doctors’ business use of social media to communicate with patients. The same people who contacted me did a similar survey of doctors five years ago and concluded ‘most Australian doctors didn't have the...
I am a solo obstetrician practitioner. By that comment I mean I have my own rooms (office), my own secretarial staff, I see all patients who book with me for pregnancy at each antenatal visit myself, I manage all patients who book with me in labour (with the support...
Because of the Christmas and New Year holiday season our office will only be open on Friday 28th December and Monday 31st December. Normal opening days will resume on Wednesday 2nd January. I (Dr Gary Sykes) am working during the entire Christmas and New Year holiday...
On Friday I took ownership of a new GE Voluson P8 ultrasound machine. Besides all the features of my previous GE ultrasound machine there is greater clarity in photos and now I can export to your USB 3D video clips of your baby moving and sound video clips of your...
It is that time of year when health funds are about to increase their premiums. This year’s increase thankfully is quite modest. It is the least increase in nearly two decades. The average private health insurance premium will increase by 3.95% from 1st April 2018....
I was chatting with a patient and her husband about whether they had thought of a name for their soon to be born baby. This lead to the husband telling me of a friend who knew of a child with the first name ‘Abcde’. The parents of Abcde obviously thought this was a...
I was recently asked the question: “What is an obstetrician’s role during pregnancy and childbirth?” Before answering that question, I should mention what an obstetrician is. This topic is covered in my website article ‘What is an obstetrician?’ An obstetrician is a...
I am asked from time to time: “How can I prepare to have a baby?” So, I have put this checklist together which covers the points that are relevant before you start trying. Health fund. Make sure you have appropriate health fund cover that covers you for confinement in...
At this time of year, there is a lot of media attention given to private health insurance and premiums going up. While the media ads are trying to encourage you to join /change to a fund the ads and media attention can have the opposite impact and some people will...
I wish to thank so many of you who have given me such wonderful feedback about the care I have provided for you and your unborn baby during your pregnancy. It warms my heart and gives me such great joy. I do my very best to provide the best medical care I can possibly...
Last weekend my wife and I saw the movie ‘Sully’. It is a great movie to see. I recommend it. It is based on the true story of Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger who on January 15th, 2009 successfully makes an emergency landing in New York's Hudson River after the US...
I am asked from time to time: What is an obstetrician? What is the difference between an obstetrician and a gynaecologist? What is the difference between an obstetrician and a midwife? What is an obstetrician? An obstetrician is a specialist medical doctor. An...
I am so often getting positive feedback about my Obstetric Excellence website. Patients frequently tell me how informative it is, how easy to navigate it is, how interesting the articles are to read. Thank you. A key aim in providing such a comprehensive pregnancy...
A couple met with me for a ‘meet and greet’ appointment. They were very excited. She was pregnant for the first time and they were looking forward to starting a family. At the end of the appointment I asked: “Do you have any further questions?” He nervously told me...
The end of December is the time of the year when people reflect on the year that has happened and plan for the year about to start. During this holiday season, I have been doing just that. 2015 has been a wonderful year for me with lots of positives. It has been an...
Patients often compliment me on how well I have l embraced social media in my obstetric practice. I appreciate very much this positive feedback. I feel very comfortable with using social media. As well, I recognise that social media is popularly used by most of my...
Patients often ask me what it is like to be an obstetrician I answer: “It is a fantastic career. I love being an obstetrician. It is wonderful to be able to support a patient on her pregnancy-and-delivery journey and to celebrate with her and her husband/partner the...
What is an obstetrician? It is not unusual to be asked: “What is an obstetrician?” An obstetrician is a specialist medical doctor who looks after (manages) women who are pregnant. An obstetrician also manages a woman and her unborn baby in labour and delivers her baby...
A patient attended today for her first antenatal visit of her second pregnancy. She wasn’t planning a second pregnancy just yet. So, to save money, she had dropped pregnancy care cover with her health fund. She said she was going to take it up again in the future when...
For a number of weeks I have been ‘covering’ an obstetrician colleague. Initially it was because he was on holidays and more recently it is because he has been unwell. This ‘cover’ has included confining his patients who go into labour, seeing his patients for...
*Saturday morning appointments are not available for initial antenatal visit.
