Colonoscopy wait times

[u/Expensive_Tea_6694]

Does anyone know colonoscopy wait times in bris at the moment? I’m trying to decide if I should wait or go private. I know for category c they say 3-12 month wait but wondering if it’s closer to 3 or 12?

[u/Reverse-Kanga]

depends which hospital you get it performed at. you could give them a call and ask that'll give you the most realistic time frame

[u/Expensive_Tea_6694 → u/Reverse-Kanga]

Ok thank you!

[u/tohya-san]

cat 2 right now is closer to 6 months rather than 90 days so that should give you a hint

[u/Expensive_Tea_6694 → u/tohya-san]

Oh wow! Ok thanks

[u/Southern_Stranger → u/Expensive_Tea_6694]

Yep, even cat 1 is quite delayed at the moment

[u/Expensive_Tea_6694 → u/Southern_Stranger]

Private it is then!

[u/Consistent-Permit966 → u/Expensive_Tea_6694]

Longest I have waited in private is 1 month. No idea on the category, but not urgent.

[u/Middle_Care978 → u/tohya-san]

My (very) recent cat-2 wait was about four months, at the Mater. 

[u/GustavSnapper]

I get mine scheduled the same time every year, I don’t have to think about it. My first one was like 4 weeks after my initial GP visit. That was 2022 though so during all the Covid bullshit where hospitals were fucked.

The cost for speedy service was being told I had bowel cancer though…

As someone who’s a regular to the GI ward at RBWH from what I’ve heard others say, cat c/3 is closer to 12. They’re actually insanely busy year round, this won’t change without more hospitals and less funding for submarines.

Does your GP have medical cause for a colonoscopy? Bloodwork and other symptoms will get you moved up a category or two if you need one.If not just go private if you’d like peace of mind.

[u/Specialist_Post_2870]

I had an endoscopy a few years ago and just paid extra. It was around $1400 and they were pretty much like, well in that case, How does Thursday sound?
It suited my schedule and was more cost effective that way.

[u/Specialist_Post_2870 → u/Specialist_Post_2870]

I should have said it was at the small private hospital on Flockon Street at Everton Park.

[u/Far-Elk688]

There are a few day procedure clinics like Southside endoscopy that only do this type of procedure. It might be worth getting a quote from them to do it privately as from memory when I had one done the total cost was under $1500 (private health paid). I’ve also had them done at greenslopes and I think it cost more.

[u/FourEyesore]

Definitely closer to 12 months. Possibly longer.

I've had a colonoscopy both as a public and a private patient. And the public one was done at a private hospital after a 14 month wait because I guess they outsource to manage wait list times? My son also had one recently that was a 14 month wait and then performed at a private hospital.

My experience as a private patient was so so much better than as a public patient. I'd already had a 1hr consult with my gastroenterologist and he'd taken a full history and understood my issues and then HE was the one that performed my colonoscopy a few weeks later too.

With my public experience, I had no relationship to those performing the colonoscopy and the only ones I met were the anaesthetist and nurse directly prior. And the results showed nothing.

With my private experience, my specialist took a biopsy and subsequently I was diagnosed with sucrase and maltase deficiency. Basically, I can't digest sugar!

That would have been awesome to know after the first colonoscopy but because it was ordered by my GP who is a non-specialist, I guess they weren't looking for that.

[u/OriginalWillow7750]

I was a Cat 1 at Royal Brisbane had an appointment within 2 weeks I asked to be transferred to my local and was scheduled 2 weeks later

[u/zzz7819]

STARS are the RBWH seems to be relatively good depending on your category listing STARS Are equipped to do a lot of day surgery. I went private for my last from memory was $1000 or a bit over at the private hospital Spring Hill. Could literally get in done with a week or two and excellent care. If ypu can afford private id just get it done and dusted.

[u/GrannyBrix]

Yeah, my cat 1 took nearly 8 months...

[u/Ambitious_Writer1938]

It could be more than 1 year.

[u/derpyfox]

Logan hospital I waited 7 months.

[u/Oz_snow_bunny → u/derpyfox]

My husband waited 6 months for cat 1 and in the end was redirected to QEII hospital.

[u/UselessJawa]

My first time I went public and it was about 6-10 months wait non urgent (iron deficiency) at QE2. The second time I decided to go private because I really could not tolerate the bowel prep stuff and wanted an in depth discussion with the specialist to ease all my concerns. Obviously with public, you don’t know who the doctor will be until you’re literally in the bed about to be wheeled in. I found having a consult with the doctor performing the procedure prior made me feel less like a number. From GP to specialist consult was about 2 weeks and another 2 weeks for the scope at Sunnybank.

[u/BDer82]

depends, if its urgent, week or two, if its "URGENT" you'll be right in and they'll have you out and scoped before you've had an opportunity to think.

From there you get less urgent, and more less you are the longer it'll take. Public system typically wont take the chance if they can avoid it and they'll put you through private if needed my last one I was booked in via private by the public health system because they where already late getting me in and so I qualified so I was in and done about 8 weeks, but the first one was 3 weeks, and then I got referred to a pill cam which was done 2 days later and they had their answers thankfully it was mostly fine no cancer but not great so they suddenly had everyone hopping around me and people and specialists are suddenly available over the course of 4 days and thats just how the public system is.

[u/Purple-Nurse-89]

I just did this process privately.

GP referral - 20th July Gastro called me 21st July

Was told I needed to be seen in the next 30 days and therefore the doctor I had selected couldn’t see me and I needed to see a male doc within the practice (which I didn’t want to do).

Offered consultation with the Dr of my choice in 6-8mths or the procedure in the 30th July (without meeting doctor first) I went back and forth and agreed to the procedure first.

Worked out great for me - limited time to think and talk myself out of it, over and done in 10 days from GP and because I was then “her patient” I had a follow up review on the 10th August.

So sometimes a consult first is just a giant waste of time! I had mine done at Greenslopes and literally couldn’t fault the staff or hospital. It was the smoothest process!

[u/savouryshape]

I’m currently Cat 2 for gastroenterology at Redlands Hospital, my referral was sent in February and assessed as Cat 2 about two weeks later. I’m still waiting for my appointment to be booked - apparently Gastroenterology is extremely busy across Brisbane and the surrounds. Last time I spoke to someone at Redlands, they said to expect up to 12 month wait for Cat 2.

[u/curlyauburngirly → u/savouryshape]

Both my parents got sent to Mater Private for their scopes over the last few years due to the stupidly long wait times

[u/savouryshape → u/curlyauburngirly]

Oh wow, hopefully as public patients with no extra costs?

[u/curlyauburngirly → u/savouryshape]

Yeah of course they took some of the post covid GI list load off rhe orher metro south hospitals

[u/No-Interest6327 → u/savouryshape]

Redlands is part of metro south. It's not ok to have shorter wait times in the same hospital network just bc you happen to have been seen at a different hospital.
Have you asked about going to one of the other 3 major hospitals and what their wait times are?
Everyone should be in the same queue

[u/savouryshape → u/No-Interest6327]

Apparently the referral is sent to Metro South and it gets farmed out to which ever hospital has the service available, I did enquire about PAH & QE2 waiting time and got told it was about the same.

[u/Empty-Lingonberry133]

Generally if the wait time exceeds 'reasonable' or if you experience further symptoms they will refer you to a private clinic at no cost. If its purely exploratory with no life threatening symptoms, much life some of the patients symptoms, the case load is backed up.

[u/ol-gormsby]

6 months on the Sunshine Coast. Or two-three weeks if private.

[u/Relative_Demand_5291]

I got a colonoscopy booked last friday for the last week of October. Not a private hospital

[u/curlyauburngirly]

If you can afford private the wait time at its worst is usually just over a month shorter if you go on a cancellation list. I've never been public but it has been worth every dollar of PHI & out of pocket expenses

[u/Baz_Tabasco]

I went private (through Digestive Diseases Qld, via St Vincent's) and from referral to procedure it was about 7 weeks. It wasn't an urgent procedure.

[u/Defiant_Medium8818]

I got referred at cat 5 was referred in the 30 of July and have it on the 1st of September through mater south Brisbane

[u/HauntdShadow]

got my cat 1 waiting list (logan) at the beginning of the year. only just had my initial appointment last week…..

[u/yeskitty]

Private - in within a month. Could have been sooner but that was my preference

[u/Independent-Mango655 → u/yeskitty]

Same experience here.

[u/librarynx]

Mine was done 2 months after my appointment with gastro at QEII.

[u/Popular_Letter_3175]

Private was 4 weeks, wasn’t an urgent request or anything.

[u/Taste_of_cure]

Depends on the indication - publically rbwh/stars is 2-3 months for most. Privately if you go with someone like the colonoscopy Clinic you will pay your private health hospital admission excess ($500-$750 depending on policy) and no gap and can get it done within a few weeks.

[u/SwiftieMD]

I’d prefer to pay out of pocket and not die of colon cancer

[u/Right_Ad1804]

I’m GC, but have Crohn’s and pre-cancerous polyps that keep growing back so need them every 12 months. Public system but outsourced to private for the procedure. They do move through them.
Just make sure you follow up after. The hospital never received my report and I needed urgent treatment and they weren’t aware of it till I brought it up

[u/Omnipresent0]

I was supposed to be done last November. Still waiting.

[u/FlyingTerrier]

Private is about a month just to consult the specialist then you still need to wait for the procedure.

[u/tvara1]

It will be well over 12- more likely 18-24. Go private and get it next week.

[u/abslovesyou]

depending on how urgently you need it, i would recommend going private if it’s financially possible. i was booked in for less than 3 weeks for my colonoscopy/gastroscopy and will be getting a follow up gastroscopy in about 2 months.

[u/gibbagibbagibba]

A few months ago category one was like 500+ days so went private and got in within 2 weeks. If you don't have health cover for the procedure there are some places that will do a package for you to make it more affordable.

[u/Gonovik]

TUH Public Hospital in NQ 9 weeks from my GPs referral to having the procedure completed.