The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH), located in Herston, Brisbane, is primarily a public hospital, not a private one. It is Queensland’s largest tertiary and quaternary referral teaching hospital, operated by Metro North Health under the Queensland Health public system.
Public Hospital Status
RBWH provides healthcare services under the public Medicare system, which means that eligible public patients receive treatment without direct hospital fees. It serves a vast population, including patients from Brisbane, regional Queensland, northern New South Wales, and neighboring countries. The hospital offers a wide range of specialties such as emergency care, cancer surgery, maternity, mental health, and more, all accessible as part of the public health system.
Private Patient Options at RBWH
While RBWH is a public hospital, patients admitted there have the option to be treated as private patients if they choose. This means:
- Patients can elect to use their private health insurance to cover hospital accommodation and medical services.
- Private patients may choose their treating doctor, provided the doctor has rights to practice privately at RBWH.
- Private patients can request single rooms if their insurance policy covers this, although single rooms are not guaranteed.
- Certain groups such as workers’ compensation, veterans’ affairs, and Defence Force patients have their hospital expenses covered by third-party providers.
This hybrid model allows RBWH to accommodate both public and private patients within the same facility, offering flexibility and choice.
Costs and Billing
- Public patients eligible for Medicare generally do not pay for their hospital stay but may incur some costs such as discharge medications or daily contributions if admitted for extended periods.
- Private patients are informed about potential costs before or shortly after admission, including any excess or co-payments related to their insurance policies.
Summary
- RBWH is fundamentally a public hospital providing free or subsidized care to public patients under Medicare.
- It also offers private patient services, allowing patients with private insurance to receive care within the hospital with some additional benefits and choice.
- This dual arrangement enables RBWH to serve a broad community while maintaining its role as a major public teaching and research hospital.