Loopylu

Quinkla - I googled the average waiting time for what was my local hospital in the UK for the first meeting with a consultant re knee surgery - 95 days (ie approx 3 months) and people were complaining in the local press that it had gone up from 85 days! 18 weeks (126 days) is the maximum time they can let you wait in the UK. My husband has been waiting five months (150+ days) now in Qld and counting....

I would glady move backto the UK but like you I am married to an Aussie and have children at high school so not really an option. My husband spent 15 years in the UK and so it is now my turn to live in his country. I prefer to hope that the Australian electorate sees sense and we get an administration like the Obama administration that seeks to remove the injustice in health care provision where the poor in Australia get shafted (eg my MIL, a pensioner, who waited 5 years for a hip replacement).

Oh we do have health insurance to avoid paying the extra Medicare Levy but as 5 people live off my salary we don't have vast savings to pay for the huge gap so are forced down the public route. We used private health insurance to pay for my son to have his toe nail operated on and the gap was $900! I dread to think what it is for a knee replacement. As I said in my earlier post, I would rather pay my health insurance premiums in taxes and have a better public health care system where everyone, no matter what they earn, has equal access to the operations they need. People who go down the private route are, to all extent and purposes, queue jumpers.

That would be great - thanks Keith!

My Aussie husband has been waiting 4 months to see an orthapoedic surgeon for his knee and is in excrutiating pain. He is only 51, has severe arthritis, a burst Baker's cyst and a torn ligament in his right knee and cannot take anti-inflammatories because he has Stage 3 kidney disease. He is likely to need a knee replacement. He is trying to hold down a part time cleaning job as well as be main carer for our three kids while I work. He is in agony with it. His GP had to write again to the hosptial as they categorised him as Category 3 (ie a 12 month wait to see a consultant) and has now been upgraded to Category 2 - another 3 month wait. I am glad your friend in her 80s got the operation so quickly but I doubt my much younger husband who probably has a lot more responsibilities will be so lucky.

I hate to say it but my MIL in Brisbane waited over 5 years for her hip replacement... Hope your wife is more fortunate!

I disagree about comparative waiting times for UK and Australia and this comparison report also indicates that the UK has better access to health care for the whole population compared with 10 other countries (not just the rich as is the case in Australia). http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2014/jun/mirror-mirror My personal experience is that in the UK we waited 3 months to see an ENT consultant for our twin boys and then a further 3 months for tonsillectomy, grommets and adenoid removal. In Australia, we waited 3 years to see an ENT consultant and then 9 months for the adenoid removal and a further 6 months for tonsillectomy. During this waiting time, my daughter suffered from a constantly stuffed up or running nose and poor sleep which impacted on her quality of life and academic performance. My Aussie Mother in Law waited over 5 years for a hip replacement and only got it because she fell getting out of bed, broke her hip and they had to do it. I think they were hoping she would die and save them a few dollars. They complain in the UK when you have to wait 2 years for a hip replacement. There is a big healthcare rort being led by the LNP in Qld over hospital waiting times. While they now have guaranteed waiting times for when you need an operation, there are no guaranteed waiting times (only guidelines) from when you are referred by your GP and then seen by a consultant who then decides which waiting list to put you on. For those unfortunate souls whose cases where deemed to be Category 3 (ie 12 month wait) in 2012 in Brisbane only 48% were actually seen by a consultant within that time frame with many waiting over 2 years (or in the case of my daughter, 3 years) to see a consultant. Nationalise the private hospitals and let those paying for useless health insurance pay those premiums to the State so that we all get decent, affordable healthcare on time.

I agree - that area is very beautiful. You could base yourself a bit further south around Kylesku so that you can go up the coast to Durness, Smoo Cave and Cape Wrath and and down the coast to Achiltibuie and the Summer Isles.

If your good lady is still into the marine biology she may want to get in touch with http://www.reefcheckaustralia.org/ which I believe is Townsville based. My cousin (a marine biologist) set up this organisation a few years ago when doing postgrad studies at JCU. She no longer lives in Townsville (moved to California for more study!) but the organisation is still operating.

Ahmed Eagle Farm is north of the Brisbane River so look for rentals in northern suburbs. More affordable suburbs fairly close to Eagle Farm are Nundah, Toombul, Northgate, Wavell Heights, Virginia, Zillmere. All these areas are very liveable and have a lot of rentals. Other suburbs close to Eagle Farm are Clayfield, Ascot, Hendra, Wooloowin and Windsor but these can be expensive. If you are happier to go further north, then I would avoid rentals in Aspley as there seem to be a lot of break ins there. Further north, you could also look at Carseldine, Bald Hills and Bracken Ridge. If you want to be close to the bay, then you could explore rentals in Sandgate, Shorncliffe and Brighton. All of the suburbs mentioned have good motorway or main road access to Eagle Farm. All the best with the house hunting.

Hi Loraine I know people with autistic kids who have sent their kids to our local school, Eatons Hill State School where our children have attended/still attend. These kids were in normal class rooms and were not very autistic. Albany Creek State High which is our nearest high school has a special unit for kids with learning difficulties. One of my boys' friends has Aspergers and he went to Eatons Hill State School and is now at AC State High. If your kid(s) are very autistic then there is a specialist school in Mitchelton (Mitchelton Special School) which caters for kids with intellectual disabilities. A friend at church whose daughter is very autistic takes her 9 year old daughter to this school. In the last couple of years her daughter's speech has improved dramatically and she is better able to interact with other people and cope with her sensitivity to noise. Loads of parks etc in Eatons Hill and Albany Creek area. All the best with the relocation. Lucy

I had my assessment in 2011 and my visa was granted in July 2012. The health requirements and assessment process are no different between partner visas and other PR visas. However, if you were refused a visa on the grounds of health and ended up appealing the decision to the Minister, I imagine that if you are married to an Australian that would help your case. They do not contact your employer about your health. It is totally private. If, when assessing you, they find something on an XRay that you did not know about (eg a tumour) they would tell you so that you can do something about it. As far as going back on meds is concerned, if you need them then take them. As you say, you will come across to the assessing doctor as more relaxed and well mentally if you are on them. With my colleague, he just saw a psychiatrist for about an hour and they asked the usual questions about how you are feeling etc. As I said before, I think you will be fine.

I agree with Maggie May24 - if onshore visas are anything to go by, then processing times will increase from what you were quoted when you put the application in. There is no guarantee that they will stick to the quoted time.

The usual minimum rental period for unfurnished is 6 months so I think you may struggle to find one for 3 months unless you sublet from someone who is breaking a longer lease. Any reason why you can't commit to 6 months?

Hi When I applied for a partner visa when I was on a 457 visa I was taking (and still am taking) anti-depressants for depression. When I went for my medical assessment the doctor had to refer my case for further assessment because of the depression but I received the all clear two weeks laterand the visa went on to be processed. I applied for citizenship last Friday. I think if you can demonstrate that you are managing your condition and can keep down a job (which you seem to be doing) you should be OK. A colleague of mine who was also on a 457 went for permanent residency (sponsored by work) and he was also on anti-depressants. In his case, he was asked to go for a psychiatric assessment but still was approved for PR. I think you will be fine. Good luck!

Hi Claire We live in the same suburb as Alaska and our kids play out on the street all the time before dinner. However, the other kids' parents are also from the UK so perhaps that is the reason why? We also live in a cul de sac off a cul de sac with only 7 houses so it is very safe. I love them to be out there on their ripsticks and bikes or playing football or cricket. Sometimes the whole road is covered in chalk drawings/hopscotch grids! I hope you can improve your kids' social life. I fear it may be playdates for you though....

The public system in Qld is quite poor on waiting times. My MIL (Aussie) had to wait 5 years for a hip replacement and only got it after 5 years because she fell out of bed, fractured her hip and they had to deal with it. Who knows how long she would have waited? By the time she got the operation she was severely incapacitated and in constant pain... The delay has also caused back problems which will also require surgery (who knows when...) and she has ended up in a nursing home because the operation was too little too late. On the ENT front, it took 6 months for my twin boys to get their grommets, adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy on the NHS. Here in Brisbane, it took 3.5 years for my daughter to even get to see a consultant and then the adenoidectomy was 6 months later (they forgot to put her on the list!) and then she had to have the tonsillectomy 6 months after that. My son has had terrible problems with an ingrowing toenail. After having 7 minor operations at the GP which only temporarily relieved the problem we ended up having to go private (or wait 3 years) for surgery under general anaesthetic. The gap was $850! NHS wins hands down....

Nell St Paul's is probably the most expensive private school in the northern suburbs of Brisbane ($12 - 15,000 a year depending on age of child). Catholic and other faith (eg Lutheran) private schools are often a lot cheaper ($4,000 a year). However, the state schools where we live (Eatons Hill, Albany Creek are fine as far as I can tell and I've not heard any horror stories about North Lakes College), Our kids use our local state schools and are doing really well. Personally, I prefer my kids to mix with people from all backgrounds rather than only mix with rich kids. I work on the basis that state school didn't do me any harm or blight my job prospects. :wink:

I'm not sure that Sidster is right. When we brought our UK BBQ to Oz the gas bottles didn't fit. We fixed it though by ordering an adapter (from the UK as much cheaper!). May be worth double checking with the manufacturer.

If you end up having to pay the fines, you can contact the relevant department and ask for a payment plan to spread the pain....

Not particularly bad roads, as far as I am aware. Personally, we like where we are in Eatons Hill as we are in a fairly new development called Eatons Rise which is tucked away (a series of cul de sacs) and a fair way away from Old Northern Road. We have a very large pub (Eatons Hill Tavern) on Old Northern Road which has large events and concerts. I am not sure what the noise would be like for houses in Eatons Hill that are closer to the pub. Personally, I would avoid any straight main roads in Brisbane as you are less likely to experience hooning/burn outs but if you are currently based in Central Qld you probably know all about that! :wink:

Glad that has helped. However, I wouldn't limit yourself to just one area as around Eatons Hill (eg Cashmere, Albany Creek) are lovely too and Albany Creek has good state schools too. Ferny Hills/Grove are supposed to be good areas to live too.

It is 10 minutes maximum to the station. Loads of parking spaces provided you get there before 8.30am. As most office workers start at 8.30am in the city they get spaces.... It is free to park. There are also security cameras so it is relatively safe to park there. Touch wood I have not seen any broken windows yet in five years of commuting, unlike where I used to park for the train in the UK! The other bonus is that the trains run on time here, almost to the minute. Buses are not so reliable time wise as they have to deal with rush hour traffic but the timetable allows for the congestion. In the school holidays the buses even arrive earlier than timetabled in the city. If I am car-less (eg when my parents are over and borrowing my car) I use the bus from Eatons Hill and it is approx 60 minutes door to door.

Hi We live in Eatons Hill and I travel to the CBD every day. I drive the short distance to Strathpine Railway station and get the train in to the city. The train goes through the Valley station and takes approx 35 minutes. Perhaps you could drop and pick your husband up from the railway station if you don't have a second car? Hope this helps.

North Shore Pom I agree that the agreement should be short and simple. However, proceeding without any agreement is, in my professional opinion, a recipe for disaster. My sister trusted tenants with improvements etc and then they tried to sell the property out from under her. It cost over 25K sterling in legal fees and a very stressful court case to sort it out. She trusted them as they professed to have the same values but they were totally evil and blighted her and her family's life for the best part of 3 years. As a non-contentious contract lawyer, I get fed up with being asked by clients to advise on messes when a simple written agreement up front could have avoided a lot of issues.... Litigation fees are much more expensive than the cost of a simple commercial agreement.