Ramsay Clinic Cairns

The medical and support staff all knew me by name. My stay, while brief, was positive and I felt valued as an individual, not just a number to fill a bed. Furthermore, I have enrolled in the 24-week outpatient program to continue my positive progress.

Although once an excellent facility, it has deteriorated under the management of the current facility coordinator and, as a MH nurse, I would not refer my worst enemy to this facility. Nursing staff are wonderful and absolutely try their best, however their ability to practice is severely compromised by management and internal politics. Do not expect honesty, transparency and accountability from the management team and be assured that any complaints will be met with expedient excuses and manipulation. Please do not put yourself or your loved ones through the experience of an admission to this “facility “. My advice is to pursue an admission to The Townsville Clinic.

For a place that deals with Mental health. The Receptionist are definitely not trained to heading anyone that is suffering. Very poor

Was hoping for psychological appointments which are not covered. Very unstructured therapy program, I’ve honestly received more classes/education at inpatient places charging half the cost of Ramsay to my private health. Staff are wonderful and I can’t fault them one bit - but structurally there needs to be more 1-to-1 or group therapy instead of leaving patients to their own devices most of the time. My family and I have made the decision to cancel my private health insurance and put that money towards a psychologist instead.

You will develop a nicotine addiction if you stay here

Outpatient clinic has been an extremely disappointing experience. A family member has been waiting 3.5 weeks for a promised repeat prescription, after paying several hundred dollars for a review. They ran out of medication 8 days ago and we have both rung multiple times in the past week, and been repeatedly promised the script was on its way. Initially we were told it would be sent 'today'. Then..it would be sent after certain forms were emailed, (which ought to have been given to the patient at the face to face 6 weeks ago). Those were sent off and STILL no script. Then, we were told the script HAD been sent....but it had not. Today, the story was 'it'll be there in an hour'. But again, it wasn't. We waited at the pharmacy, and on the next phone call chasing it up, were told it would be there in 20 minutes. We waited some more, but it still didn't arrive. Yet another phone call....now apparently it'll be sent by the end of the day. It's Friday...and Ramsay outpatients will no doubt be closed for the weekend in another hour and a bit....and they are not answering their phone. Same as a week ago. I'm appalled at this point.

Be very, VERY careful here. If you are offered rTMS... run like hell. I had this done to my brain years ago and I'm still disabled. This therapy is sold to participants as non-invasive, and when you google it, that's what comes up first. It's chilling how dishonest the information is in a google search. What comes up is nothing further from the scientific facts. It sends lightning bolts / arcs of electricity into the top of the head and into the brain. Now, basic law of physics state electricity follows the path of least resistance; impossible to precisely control how it travels. In my experience, it hit an important spot and caused a lasting brain injury with symptoms like a concussion. Major working-memory loss. Grossly inadequate longitudinal studies done on this "therapy"... but holy moly look at that revenue it pulls from Medicare! My Dr received $800 in two days for seeing me for a couple of quick chats which included a mapping session where they pretend to know what the creepy looking TMS machine is doing. Once in 'the chair' the staff spoke to me like a simple child I.e. "wow such a good boy", "you're so brave", "Most people can't handle that intensity level". I mean... what a bizarre thing to say to a patient. Also strange, and frankly alarming that staff operating the machine are trained to ignore patient expressing discomfort during the electrifying stage. Told to wear hearing protection or earphones during brain zap as it makes a loud unpleasant clacking sound. Asking myself, why aren't the staff (not a nurse, rather a trained technician) wearing hearing protection? I opted out from putting stuff in my ears and i'm glad I did, because many recipients who do cover their ears end up with tinnitus / hearing damage, due to the brain not getting a 'heads up' from the ears that there's electricity approaching to potentially destroy filaments and cause over stimulation leading to cell deaths in the brain. Essentially, a modern-day lobotomy but worse. Like ECT, just more sneaky and dangerous. Thank you (not) for ruining the past 2 years of my life, Ramsay Clinic. I went from being a high functioning, healthy eating delightful person handling massive responsibilities and massive potential, to quite a troubled, unhealthy, agitated now-homeless person (because I can not work/function properly) with bonus severe short-term memory loss. I am SLOWLY starting to recover now and I will be fine. I have departed from the medical system and gone back to healing my body with the correct whole foods as well as using adaptogens/herbs etc... not to forget healing my soul with good spiritual practice / disciplined divinity. You can't receive that from attending this psychiatric clinic and you cannot improve your life with TMS, I don't care what anyone says. If someone has improved after this procedure then it was a fluke they weren't injured and they're likely experiencing psychosomatic observations in a mentally anaesthetised state. Places like this ought to brace themselves for a class action at the very least, as it is inevitable if they continue exploiting vulnerable yet intelligent people with common issues like PTSD/depression/anxiety/ADHD etc . I have intentionally left my Drs name out of this feedback because they were respectful, trusting and kind to me, and I wouldn't want to tarnish their name... but they would be wise to stop offering their patients this method. This clinics system of selling rTMS as a first line treatment needs urgent attention. There are thousands of people in the western world having their lives turned upside down by rTMS. ** DO NOT AGREE TO RECEIVING TMS ** Go to the VTAG Facebook group and read James Halls blog about his experience after TMS. @ Mad In America dot com to understand the truth about this procedure. His story is virtually identical to my experience. Two stars because my Dr was lovely and the reception staff are very good but people need to know this is an eye wateringly lucrative and unethical system they're using which should be avoided at all costs.