helenarthur

Well, being quite elderly, the move and finding your way around the oz system of doctors proved scary. We are on basic UK pension, and find some things are so expensive, and others really cheap. On a 143 visa, the first 2 years you pay full price for all your medications. Flomaxtra (for men) is not subscribed by the health service, and is 50$ per month. After 2 years, we understand you can get a centrelink card which gives you prescriptions at say 5$ each for approved medication. Having a cateract off, i was out of pocket by 2,000$ after a refund of part. You pay at the hospital when you go in a few hundred dollars for day admission (dont get back). You can go on a waiting list i believe, but no one seems to do this, you see a specialist, he charges, then you get part back from medicare. There are 2 types of doctors.....1) bulk bill, and you dont pay to see the doctor 2) private, and you get a refund from medicare of about half his charges when you see the doctor everytime.. It is lovely living at Wynnum bay, Brisbane. The winter is very cold from 4pm, and you need heat on. In the daytime blue skies and you can sit out in the sunshine. Its taken a year to really settle in. Our son and 2 granddaughters are in Brisbane area, and it was all worth the move to be a family again. There are beautiful places in this area, and the Australian people are just great. Oh, we found second hand cars are expensive compared with UK and we wished we had shipped our car. Best of all, you hardly ever get parking charges, and people with boats have dozens of places you can just slip your boat in the water at no charge, park your car free, and enjoy yourself. Loads of dams for keen water skiing. and the river and sea. What do i miss, LIGHT EVENINGS, you never get them here. Bye for now and good luck to you all. Helenarthur

Its a mine field. Took ages to get my husbands medical thro, or so it appeared. It takes a month to get from one office to another. I think that all medicals go to some not too experienced guy, then if not understand , referred to a doctor who does You will get there, also if they ask you for more info, another 2/3weeks have gone by. Hang in there. helenarthur

We have not long had our visa. and went through getting letters from hospitals, and forwarding via Maidenhead to Sydney hoc. Very stressful. and what they are looking for is "how much will it cost in the first years of you being in oz." They donot want big bills, and i did read that if they expect it to be so much in the first few years they will refuse your visa, but you can appeal, My husaband was having lucentis injections in his eye, nine over a year at a £1000 a time, to stop his eye sight deteriorating in one eye. However, the doctor co-operated at the hospital, and his letter was very encouraging. hoc were asking if he could get on a bus, dress himself etc. The hospital wrote back and said he had a full british driving licence and was quite capable of all activities they had asked about. However, if Gordan Brown could run the country with one eye, surely thats good enough!!!!! In the end, i gave my son authority to deal with it on oz, and it was soon sorted. Good luck, and i am sure re-assurance will do the trick. Get loads of letters with good outlooks. regards helen arthur.PS we fly out oin 2 days (i am in my 80th year, must be mad)

Hi there, my sympathies are with you, we had to go to Maidenhead again, for my husband, wet macular degeneration, and re-approach the hospital for a list of details referring to his treatment, and they said, the hospital, in the letter, it was good, and he would be referred back in 4/6 weeks to see how it was going. The MOC then left it 6 weeks and asked for the re-appraisal. Couldnt believe it as we were back at maidenhead on about 18th May, with another letter, and now we just WAIT. They sent letter 25th May2011 with update from maidenhead. Have sent e mail today to health.operations.centre@immi.gov.au for status, This is Sydney, and they send on to Perth. Would like to hear how you get on. Our original application was Oct 09.:confused: Good Luck, Helenarthur

We had our medicals in feb 2011, and i chased several times, then i was informed that my husbands medicals had been held from 31st March, (mine ok). Apparently on the original medical in feb, they asked for more info on my husbands eye problem, and the doctor from hospital here in uk wrote "will be reviewd in 4 - 6 weeks," so, what did they do, waited 6 weeks and then contacted us again, and we had to ask for another report from hospital, take it to maidenhead again with passports, pay extra, and today the doctor at Maidenhead is looking at it, and with luck will be sent off again. that takes 5 days to get to oz, sydney, then onto DIAC Perth, from the medical officer will probably take another 2 weeks, and then the process to let us know if acceptable. and we were told it can take upto 4 weeks to reach perth from sydney with original medicals. What can i say, sold house, temporary accomodation, and we are wondering if we will make it!!!! Anyway, on that note, good luck to you. helen arther (143 visa and on the top of the tracker list - zeusey)

Medicals at Maidenhead fine, stayed at guest house opposite to avoid early travel. You will know when medicals have been sent to Sydney as they ring you with a tracker number. Unfortunately, our medical was held up as the doctor went on holiday and didnt sign our forms off. Delayed 3 weeks. Then DIAC informed us from Perth that it can take 4 weeks for medicals to get to Perth from Sydney. Be aware of this. Good luck. We are at the top of list with 143, "zeusey" but it seems ages since we heard from Perth. Helen arthur

My son shipped his bmw, he said it was a waste of time and money, i think you have to change loads of things on your car to fit in with the australian specifications, and costs too much, lots of hidden things. Check what you would have to change on this model, maybe you would be lucky. good luck,helen

Hi there, dont get too upset about this. Our medicals doctor said if there is as much info as possible on any condition, then its best to get it, so that they dont come back from oz asking for it and delaying. So my husband went to the hospital, and asked for a letter giving uptodate info, and explaining that it was for immigrating and to fax it to the medical centre. They were so co-operative (and on your side,if you follow). and they sent us a copy (my husband has macular degeneration, wet type, and bleeding. Has an injection in eye each month to try and stem it. not curable, can only stem, but they havnt signed him off) Now, that all went thro, and my son e mailed this morning to say he had paid aos so it looks as if we shall be going out next month. Just re-reading your letter, has oz asked or just your agent, and hes playing safe? You can appeal against this and ask why this is necessary as you have been given all clear. Good luck, helen

if the clinic say the medicals have gone, or ready to go, ask for your tracker number, if they cant come up with it, they havnt gone. KEEP PLUGGING!!!! helen

Garden city has a freeway into brisbane, and only buses are allowed and according to my 2 granddaughters (20 & 24) its not worth having a car it is so fast, i think 15mins - they both are studying in brisbane cantre. Kangaroo point has lots of students, but a great place on river, and quick to cross by boat to city side. The place you mentioned i will ask my family out there, and try and get back, good luck. My grandaughters will not come back!!!!!

had medicaal 16th feb 2011, and 22days later maidenhead clinic rang with tracker number. I asked why was it 22 days before posting and the reply was our doctor had gone on holiday and no one could sign us off. Then i e mailed immigration, and explained the delay, and they replied that when the medicals arrive in sydney it can take 4 weeks to get to them in perth.. This has thrown our plans out and delayed all by at least a month. Hope this helps! Helen

tO ALL OUT THERE, BE WARNED. :shocked: HAVE YOUR MEDICAL, DOCTOR GOES ON HOLIDAY, 22 DAYS LATER WE ARE GIVEN A TRACKER NUMBER FROM MEDICAL CENTRE MAIDENHEAD CLINIC - REASON PAPERS HADNT GONE - NO ONE COULD SIGN OFF OUR MEDICALS UNTIL OUR DOCTOR CAME BACK. NOW ONE MONTH LATER, PAPERS STILL IN POST TO SYDNEY, AND AFTER E MAIL TO IMMIGRATION THEY REPLIED THAT IT CAN TAKE 4 WEEKS FROM SYDNEY TO PERTH WITH MEDICALS. WILL THERE BE ANY COMEBACKS, ARE WE TALKING 3 MONTHS MAYBE? NOW I KNOW WHY PEOPLE GET THERE MEDICALS BEFORE GETTING A CO. ALL VERY FRUSTRATING HAVING SOLD HOUSE, SHIPPERS PACKED MOST, IN OTHER ACCOMODATION. JUST ANNOYED THAT WE DIDNT REALIZE HOW LONG THESE THINGS CAN TAKE. AND HOPE INFO MAY HELP SOMEONE. VERY SURPRISED ABOUT SYDNEY TO PERTH TIME TAKEN WITH MEDICALS. HEY HO, AT LEAST ITS SUNSHINING. HELEN ARTHUR

beware.....time zone for medicals to reach perth. No.1 had medicals and doctor decided to go on holiday (maidenhead clinic) so it was 22days before they rang us to say medicals being posted and giving tracker number. I asked why they hadnt been sent earlier and the answer was that no one else could sign our papers off. Now on the 14th march2011 they are still in post to sydney. I e mailed the immigration perth (as there is this 28days to get things done) and they replied that when the medicals reach sydney it can take 4 weeks to reach perth. Now will there be any comebacks, and if so, are we looking then at a say 3month time zone? I can understand now why i have noticed that people get there medicals done before getting a co. We have sold our house (quickly) moved out into other accomodation and feel as if we are in a time warp. Just hope this helps someone in their planning. Cheers, helenarthur

[ PLEASE, WHAT WAS HIS BLOOD PRESSURE THAT HE HAD TO HAVE IT TAKEN 3 TIMES AT DOCTORS. sAME HAPPENED TO MY HUBBY, LOOK FWD TO HEARING FROM YOU. HELEN QUOTE=MaybeOz;1013928]At the time of our medicals .... Hubby had high blood pressure, actually it was "white coat syndrome" and, eventually (several weeks after our actual medicals), he finally got the required 3 OK readings done at our GPs. Our middle son has / had SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia) which is a heart condition and was taking daily beta blocker medication at the time. I had three slipped & ruptured discs in my back. Ongoing medical problems - Hubby gets severe gout and takes daily medication for it. Apart from that, everything else was fine!! We passed our medicals :yes: Good luck Kari :wubclub: