Mater Private Hospital Brisbane 301 Vulture Street, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101

"I stayed in hospital this week on Level 9 (Room 30) as a precaution for a toe infection and couldn't rate it any higher. All staff from doctors, nurses, pathology, pharmacy, physio, catering and cleaning were exceptional. I felt well looked after, the food was excellent and I knew the best care was being provided. A big thank you."

"I have given the Mater Private (Brisbane) two stars because the nursing staff and Emergency Dept staff were terrific. The doctor I saw in ED was kind, knowledgeable and extremely efficient. One of the ED nurses went over and above to ensure my comfort even though she was extremely busy with other patients. However, the lack of post operative follow up at the Mater was non-existent despite my being told that there would be a physician coordinating my care. When things went wrong nobody knew what anyone else was doing and no one claimed any responsibility. Following surgery I was prescribed blood thinners and anti inflammatory medication which interacted badly and caused some very unfortunate and dangerous effects. At no point was I warned about the risk of those medications interacting, and there was no one to discuss the problem with when things started to go wrong. I was readmitted to the Mater ED as a result, and was more than happy with the treatment I received from the hospital, and from a specialist. Following discharge from the Mater, when I tried to follow up because I had reasons to be concerned that I was continuing to experience adverse effects, I was met with an unbelievable amount of stuff-ups. An ‘appointment’ was made with a physician at the Mater who apparently knew nothing about the appointment, or the fact that he was supposedly coordinating my care post-surgery. As a result I had to waste an entire afternoon trying to follow up - despite feeling unwell and very stressed. Even the blood test I was referred to was a disaster with wrong information given, resulting in my having to waste more time, and once again, sort the problem out for myself. This is all in spite of having to get around with the help of a mobility aid; it was an extremely challenging experience to say the least. I have no complaints about the surgery or the nursing care. However I am furious about the catastrophic lack of information about pharmaceutical prescriptions, the lack of after-care, and the non-existent compassion for patients - it is an absolute disgrace and I am sickened by it. It seems that the main objective is to make money; patient after-care is apparently unimportant. You feel as if you’re just a nuisance if you want any after-care - no one is interested. I’ve had better treatment in the public system. Very disappointed and I have lodged a complaint with the hospital. I will never recommend the Mater Private to anyone."

"Absolutely disappointed and disgusted with the care my Mum received. After Surgery she was returned to a ward and had to wait over 2 hours for her own belongings to be returned to her. Then was put in a room with a serious respiratory patient who could not breathe properly on her own and would snore when awake and even worse when asleep. After a complaint the poor patient was finally moved. THE WORST part was, NO ONE saw Mum for 3.5 hours from 5pm onwards not one Nurse stuck their head in the door or even layed eyes on Mum. If Mum had not have rung buzzer at 8:30pm, STILL NO ONE would have come to see her. Not one Nurse has asked her how she was feeling or for pain relief. Luckily Mum is only 50 but still had to dress herself and manage alone, as no Nurses would come. This is absolutely disgusting and appalling and as a Nurse myself and her sister a Nurse, this is not right and should be reported and taken further. The only sad/good thing is that our Surgeon is the best Surgeon of all times and only at the Mater."

"My entire admission, surgery and follow up care was flawless. Every staff member on Ward 10 East from the moment I arrived was helpful and attentive. The nursing staff were fantastic, meds on time, answered buzzers promptly, always with a smile and happy to have a chat. Even the discharge process was smooth from physio to pharmacy having everything sorted by 10am. I couldn’t recommend the service more. Thank you for your care."

"I spent three nights at the Mater Private after undergoing prostate surgery there in May. From the moment I arrived at the Mater, I knew that I was in good hands. The registration and “check-in” procedure was handled quickly and efficiently by a friendly lady in the comfortable “welcome lounge” on level 7. Following that I was taken downstairs to a waiting room, changed into hospital gear and gown and, after a short wait of about 30 minutes, I was taken into surgery. There was minimum time-wasting or messing around, and it was all handled calmly and efficiently. The place hums like a well oiled machine and everything runs smoothly, which is a blessing, as when one is about to undergo surgery, one's stress levels and anxiety are sky high. Once out of surgery, I was taken to level 10, where I shared a ward with three other patients. The nurses did all they could to make me as comfortable, settled and relaxed as possible. During the night, one of my room-mates, an elderly gent with dementia, became aggressive and unco-operative after coming back late from surgery. This presented a difficult and challenging situation for the staff to deal with, but to their credit, they handled it calmly with tact and skill, and were eventually able to talk the patient down and get him back to his bed. Next door, the nursing manager came in person to apologise to me and the other residents of that ward for the noise and ruckus of the previous night. The nurses that attended to me, without exception (and there were many) were caring, compassionate and kind, in addition to being competent, knowledgeable and hardworking. The admin staff, cleaners and especially the delightful ladies who brought me my meals, all conducted themselves with the same high standards of professionalism, care and compassion. And to top it all, everything is done with a cheery demeanour and a warm smile. The food was of the highest quality, and despite my pain and discomfort, I couldn’t help but be excited at the large variety of healthy choices on offer and the method of ordering - which is via a computer monitor cum TV screen, in front of the bed. It reminded me a bit of a plane, where you have a screen in front of you, except that the designers of these ones had cleverly devised a swinging arm, so one could push it out of the way. It also had TV channels and other entertainment forms, ensuring that one was never bored. After placing an order, the food was quickly delivered, it was exactly as described and I enjoyed all my meals. Spending time in this private hospital has once again driven home to me, (not that I needed it), the vital importance of having - and keeping forever - private health insurance. Without it, I probably would have waited months for this urgent surgery and the treatment I received would have been hard to match in a public facility. Thanks Mater Private and all the nurses and doctors who attended to me."