I just wanted to let you all know, that Australia and the UK have a reciprocal health agreement. Basically this means, if you are on holiday and you take ill or have an accident, all your treatment in a public hospital is covered as if you are a citizen. Even if it's for months. So a small clue - do take out travel insurance, as it will cover you to go back home, with nursing care on the flight if it's required. But, if you're here, and you require the doctor, go to an emergency room at the hospital, and it won't cost you a penny xx
We have a stupid ‘two tier system' here - private and public.
If you go to a doctor's surgery, because you won't have a Medicare card (there may be a temporary one you can get before you travel) you may have to pay part or all of your appointment (which you can later claim against your trave insurance), the same goes for medications. I wouldn't even touch the private hospital system as a holiday maker - they don't do emergencies, and in my opinion, for the money you might get nicer carpet on the floor lol - the medical treatment here is invariably superior in our public system - they are ‘training' hospitals, and the health department much prefers to employ the ‘creme de la creme' of doctors and specialists to train the next generation, rather than someone who just ‘scraped through' at University.
And on another note, whilst I was living and working in the UK many years ago, I saw the gp a couple of times, needed scripts occasionally, had two surgeries, and saw the dentist twice. I was paying my NHS contribution, and tax too, so I was ok with it. And your health system is superb!! I always rave about it when I speak to people here - so many years (decades?) ahead of us here, I doubt we'll ever catch up.
So I guess I wasn't really a health ‘tourist' as such, being a temporary citizen, such a thing would never cross my mind. But I'm eternally grateful for the excellent care I received whilst there xx