Netcare
Reviews and Complaints

I have visited a family member at the Moot Hospital in Pretoria on 03 Jun 2018.
While waiting for visiting hour-15:00 to16:00-to start I notice the shocking state of waiting room-ceiling fan blades-full of dusts has not been cleaned for months-see photos attached/below- on the second floor next to the General ward-7-and close to the theatre and ICU. This is totally unacceptable.

Hi today on the 22/05/2018 time 12:45 I came to netcare universitas and they told me I needed to fill admission form.OK I had medical certificate and ID with me, and the ladies at reception tells me they need a medical card.they not gonna assist me.

What is a different between a medical card and certificate that made them not to help me.so one will die become people felt that I do not have a card on with me.

I failed to understand and they just loozed at me and not help until I see that I am wasting my time.

Hi,

In October 2017 my wife was admitted to St Augustines Casualty for a dislocated knee. After receiving all the bills we settled them. 7 months later on 30/04/2018 we receive an sms saying we owe R361 to Netcare can to contact Phyllis Dixon. I sent her an email asking what this sms was about with no response. Then on 11/05/2018 I receive a letter in the post saying I owe R361 and if not paid by 27/04/2018 We would get handed over to the credit bureau. I paid the amount and sent proof of payment via fax and email to Phyllis and the St Augustines credit controller on 12/05/2018. Today 14/05/2018 I get a letter from Phyllis saying we have not paid and are getting handed over to the credit bureau. I tried phoning Phyllis but she does not answer. This kind of service is totally unacceptable. Can I Please get my issue resolved.

Iv'e been in many netcares, but Netcare Clinton is horrific. Never ever coming back. I will ask for Linmed for availability, and move out this place as soon as I can. Nurses not helping. Me and my daughter was submitted at 6 pm and at 9pm I still did not have any bedding. Ask twice between 9 and 9:30 and I got my bedding only at 10 pm. How can you have such great facilities at Linmed, but in Alberton you have a mess, awfull wood beds to sleep on, and no bedding prepared or made, I had to made it myself! This never happend to me at Linmed before. The one nurse yawns and the other one do not give a damn about a patients fever. If you have a fever patient with a history of fever convulsion, you do not leave until the mom came to ask everytime to take her fever. And when the fever is high, takes a long time to just give the medication! Kids scream at night for a long time just to be help. I normally are happy with everything. But close this place down please. It's unprofessional.

I took my 7 year old daughter for her follow up, she only needed to get a vaccine and not even be checked by a doctor but we waited more than 2 hours and still have not been attended to.
This colour coded system they use is absurd, unfair and inconsiderate to the next patient. Each case should be looked at holistically & shouldn't follow this inhumane colour system they use. Waiting for more than 2 hours for a 5 minute procedure and pure nonsense.
And the fact that you have your staff walking around and not even giving updates on what is happening is worse. We pay a lot to be treated like this.

My father was fighting for his life and being cash paying customers my mother and my husband paid the fees that were charged. We were advised that there were funds to be refunded.

When I called I was told send the banking details which I did for my mother. When I called to follow up I was told of new requirements because there were 2 people who have paid we need to send a letter from my husband that only my mother will be refunded. That was a family agreement. The letter was sent and my mother banking details.

When I followed up I am told of new form that my sick father needs to complete.

The arrogance in which we are being addressed by your employee Ofentse Segale is disappointing. We have used this hospital many times as medical aid patients my sister and I and we never imagined this is how cash paying customers are treated.

My parents who are pensioners needs this money to buy medicine. My mother has paid the hospital fees and we want the refund to be paid to her. My father was only a patient.

Please intervene.

On Saturday 13 January 2018 I visited a local supermarket while opening a fridge door a class bottle fell out and cut my leg. I rushed to Bougainville Hospital on arrival they informed me the consultation fee is R750 which I then paid. After I have received 6 stitches I had to pay an additional R980 for the Doctor consultation and stitches which I did. The Doctor informed me to come back the following Monday to remove the stitches. I went back to the Hospital Sunday afternoon 21/01/2018 to enquire if it is possible to remove the stitches that day, I work in Midrand is a shift worker and a single Mother . The sister said she will have to find out from the Doctor, I asked her is it okay if I take the stitches out myself and she said no the Doctor has to see the wound. She returned and said she will remove it. I asked her if there will be a fee but she was not sure and asked the lady at the back that was busy with admin. She replied if it is a private patient 'we do not charge a follow up' .The sister removed my stitches after she was almost done a Doctor entered the room and asked her if she is struggling, she replied no she is almost done and he left. He did not have my file with him or check my wound. 2 days after the removal I received and SMS to say I must still pay R401 . Net are either don't answer calls or if you do speak to someone working with accounts they don't provide feedback. I explained the situation to a lady called Yvonne who said said she will have to send an email to the hospital. Why tell me that I can't remove my own stitches just to get more money out of me, because it was a simple removal of a 3cm cut ? So Netcare charge for stitches but removal is not included?

On 22 February 2016 my husband Michael Marais Mills was admitted for a colon cancer operation by Dr Gordhan at the Unitas Hospital in Centurion.
The operation was scheduled for 23/02/2016 and Dr Gordhan explained that it would be a +- 3hour operation. The operation was scheduled for 12h00. After 4 hours I started to get worried and every time somebody came from the theater I would inquire if there was any news on Mr Mills, but no news. At 18h30 a male person came out of theatre and I approached him and he introduced him to me as Dr Jeschke, a partner of Dr Gordhan and that he assisted with the operation. He explained that my husband's heart stopped on the table and that they had to wait for the Urologist. He did mention the Urologists surname, but by that time I was in such a state that I can not remember his surname. At the time it did not register to me why an Urologist? I am not an medical expert and do not know if it is standard procedure to have an Urologist to assist in such an operation.
He went to ICU isolation room and I saw him for a couple of minutes and was told that he is doing just fine. I was at the hospital early the next morning and though he was sedated when I spoke to him he reacted and pressed my hand when I spoke to him. I waited at the hospital the whole day to see my husband and also I wanted to see Dr Gordhan. Eventually he came to see patients in ICU and I stopped him and he could hardly spent a minute to explain to me that he is very happy with the opp and ran off again before I could even ask him about his heart and the Urologist. This is how I met him every time and he never had time to speak to me. The Physician Dr Joseph also an extremely short and sweet person would never explain to me what happened and was always on a rush and could never sit down and discuss my husband with me. When I went in to visit my husband the next day I noticed that something was very wrong with him and that he did not respond at all. I spoke to the sister on duty and she assured my that as it is the 3rd day it is normal. I disagreed and said but he does not respond at all and I want the doctor to come and see him. That evening with visiting hours no doctor had seen or do anything for my husband. The sister on duty then said that she will get hold of Dr Joseph and ask him to come and see my husband. My son sent me home and promised to wait for Dr Joseph. When Joseph came he told my son that there is an improvement and that they are not going to do anything yet. The Saturday morning early I went to Unitas, because I wanted to see a doctor and was not going to leave without seeing a doctor and I was told that Dr Joseph is in Cape Town and that a Dr Lourens is standing in for Dr Joseph. I insisted on speaking to Dr Lourens, but she was busy with an emergency and I was instructed to wait outside and that she would speak to me once she has seen my husband. A few hours later I saw the porters rushing my husband down the corridor and Dr Lourens running after them.
I was told by one of the nursing staff to wait as d Lourens will talk to me once they have the results from whatever tests they were going to do as she suspects he had an aneurysm. A few hours later she came and talk to me and told me that he was over dozed with morphine and that she was going to put the dialysis machine on him to "wash the blood". The next morning there was a huge improvement and on the Monday morning I wanted to speak to Dr Joseph and confront him, but he was at HF Verwoerd and one of the nurses got hold of him on his cellphone and I spoke to him. He was extremely rude and said that he got his reports where he instructed the dialysis, I told him then that he was lying and that I wanted to see the report he told me to wait at the hospital and that he would show me the report. I waited until 21h00 but he never pitched. I also asked for his file to be handed over to Dr Lourens so that she could take care of my husband, but he refused. Eventually he was transferred to High Care, this took a few weeks, before this happened. On a Saturday afternoon I got a phone call to say my husband has been taken back to the heart ICU and that I must come. On the Monday the returned him to the first ICU with the "Hospital Virus" where he was kept in isolation. About a week or 2 later he was trf to a special ward where all the isolation patients were. I still was not happy with the treatment he received and neither does Dr Joseph contact me, and I went to his rooms and waited for him to come. I refused to give my name to the receptionist and when the next patient was call in I asked the lady of I could kindly just speak to the doctor for a few minutes and that I would not be long. He was quite shocked when he saw me and was really rude to me and told me that he studied a long time and he knows his job. The next day I went to see the Hospital Administrator Mr Badenhorst, the Matron and the ward sister and told them my story. I requested that my husband been discharged as not anything is being done for him. In the mean time Dr Gordhan also never checked on my husband to see if the colon grew on again or not and if the bag could be reversed. He just never saw my husband again. Mr Badenhorst understood the situation and suggested that my husband be removed to a recovery institution. He would assist in finding one. He then got him into Morehill Clinic and a Dr Hogg. He was transferred the next morning, but he worrying aspect was the he could not walk, when we spoke to the nursing staff we were told that when the heart stop the doctors must take what ever action is necessary to save the patients heart and it could be that the back got injured. Toughies? At Morehill Clinic, which I can highly recommend they tried everything to get him to walk, physio etc and eventually he was revered to "The Wilgers" as I refused to let me husband go back to Unitas. At The Wilgers, he was given a back support, which my medical aid had to pay for unnecessary and when there was still no relieve Dr Steinman discovered that there was a stent in his kidney tube which was calcifying, which cause the extreme pain, he removed the stent and when I asked him where the stent came from he suggested from Unitas. Then it came back to me that Dr Jeschke mentioned the Urologist. Why did they not tell us about the stent and that it had to be removed at some stage. This to me shows huge irregularities. Is that why Dr Gordhan and Dr Joseph was avoiding me?. After the stent was removed my husband could walk again and the pain was gone. In the mean time he was in and out of the hospital, with the stoma bag and back pains. Then the pain came back severely and I took my husband to the Glynnwood hospital in Benoni one Sunday Morning early. After several tests it was suggested that we go back to Dr Gordhan as he did the original operation and that he knows the history and should be able to reverse the stoma bag for a permanent bag. I made an appointment with Dr Gordhan and after seeing him, he did not even examine my husband but R850.00 later suggested that he goes and see Dr Lourens, as I refused that Dr Joseph ever touch my husband again, and should she agree he would do the reverseal. Dr Gordhan's receptionist, whose mother is working for Dr Lourens made an appointment and my husband went to see her this was +- 3 months ago. He and I phoned several times to get the results of the tests and she never phoned back and the receptionist promised every time to call as soon as she has news. Eventually I phoned Dr Gordhans receptionist and she phoned back and said that Dr Lourens has been called away to a Family crisis in Durban and as soon as Dr Lourens is back she will see to it that they phone us and tell us what Dr Lourens said. To date no call and no results. But the account had to be paid.. I then made an appointment with Dr Kourie at the Glynwood In Benoni and he sent my husband for a Cat Scan. He found that there is at this stage nothing he can do regarding the reversal of the stoma bag, but that the kidney needs urgent attention, this resulting from Unitas when the stent was left in for to long and caused the calcifying. Dr Pharboo can be contacted at The Glynnwood Medical Centre for the information regarding the operations that had to be done the past 2 months to try and save the kidney and that all through negligence of the medical personnel that did not inform us about the stent and that the stent had to be removed. I feel that my husband must be compensated for the pain and suffering of the past 21 months and that action must be taken by you to reprimand the doctors. If Dr Lourens did her job properly she would have seen that the kidney has got a problem, but she did not give a continental xxxx about my husband, maybe under orders from Dr Gordhan? Maybe he did not want her to tell us about the kidney, because she could remember me, when she saw my husband when he went for the examination. Neither Dr Gordhan or Dr Lourens has contacted us since. Must I report this to Discovery Medical Aid to investigate as well or are you going to do the necessary and get back to me? Please advise.

I was admitted to trauma on the 7/11/2017 for high blood pressure and chest pains. I was severly stressed and was attended to promptly. On the 14/11/2017 I received a call from the accounts disivion advising that Bankmed refused to pay for the consultation. The lady refused to hear that I have additional benefits due to my PMB benefits. After a long argument, she said to me that if they are willing to pay, then she will gladly add 2 ICD 10 codes, one for High blood pressure and the other chest pains.

I took the time to cotnact my medical aid, who said they would happily pay if Sind from accounts resubmitted with the correct icd 10 codes.

Now, I msut deal with Sindi, who is extremely upset that she was proven wrong and is not happy top accept this. Now she can no longer make a decision on herr own, but will have to wait for the r who treated me at Trauma to come to work, which will only be next weel Wednesday.

Sindi's attitude is shocking. This became personal the minute I told her that the information she provided was incorrect. She furtehr said there would be a charge of about R110 if I wanted them to complete any further forms or documents.

I will never use St Augustines again. Their customer service is abolutely shocking.

I was in Waterfall emergency on Sunday 27-08-17 due to a very bad flu. Had a headache and was unable to sit up. The admission process was too long and I was made to queue up.I went as far as asking the admin to get me help and was told they working according to the list and they couldn't help me. I went and lied on the bathroom floor and even puked BUT nobody really cared. Because of my unbearable situation I decided to sit just outside the emergency waiting area and came to learn 20mins later that I was due to see the doctor. Why do we call it an emergency if severe cases are treated as normal. Please teach your admin to know how to handle and address patients.

I was at Parklands Hospital in Durban for a ceasaran. It was like I was in a government hospital. When a person rang a bell for assistance they took their own time but you can hear them talking n laughing by the aisles. I happened to pee on myself as i was standing up on 2nd day after ceasaran to go to the toilet, the nurses came to assist me back to my bed they did not even clean me but left me in that condition. There was a nurse in the night shift who used d same gloves from me to the next patient and sister happened to see her.Catering service was poor, I requested for apple juice as I do not drink orange juice they said the do not have other flavours. Water was never provided you had to request n they took hours. The waitress forgot to give me catlery when I requested for a spoon she didn't come back, in pain I had to stand from bed and go n open their cabinet by the aisle to get a spoon. The list is endless...I was so disappointed.

REF or CLIENT NUMBER: T689821000
Contact: Tshedi Mkhwanazi
Number: [protected]

I am highly disappointed with the service I am currently receiving from Netcare Union Hospital finance department.

My son was involved in an accident on the 20th January 2011 and was admitted to Alberton Union Netcare Hospital and had requested printed medical bills/and or proof of payment

Apparently Nthabiseng Nonyane and Lungile Nsibande both Credit Controllers, couldn't assist me, saying they don't have access to the old system. i am so frustrate to with these back and forth email.Assist please
Please refer to emails below

From: Mavis Mkhwanazi
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2017 9:54 AM
To: 'nthabiseng.[protected]@netcare.co.za'
Subject: RE: REF- T689821000

Dear Nthabiseng

Please refer to the correspondences below and assist

Siphesihle Mkhwanazi was involved in an accident on the 20th January 2011 and was admitted to Alberton Union Netcare Hospital

I am requesting all medical bills/ invoices for the accident

Please see attached, he used to be second on the card.
Attached please find my ID copy

Option: Emerald
Member number: [protected]
Kind regards
Mavis

From: Mavis Mkhwanazi [mailto:[protected]@mediasupport.co.za]
Sent: 19 Jul 2017 14:59
To: Nthabiseng Nonyane
Subject: RE: REF- T689821000

This message originated from outside your organization
________________________________________
Hello Nthabiseng

You have read my email but never say a word

Are you able to assist me on this?

Kind regards
Mavis

From: Lungisile Nsindane [mailto:Lungisile.[protected]@netcare.co.za]
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2017 1:53 PM
To: Mavis Mkhwanazi ; Ziphozonke Lamula
Subject: RE: REF- T689821000

Hi Mavis

Regrettable, I do not have access to cases longer than 5 years, please try at the hospital.
Thank you
Regards

Regards,

Lungi Nsindane
Credit Conroller
Netcare (Ltd)
Sunninghill Rivonia
First Floor, Building 2, Sunninghill Crescent Office Park, No 3 Eglin Road, Sunninghill Johannesburg
2157

Direct: +[protected]
E-mail: Lungisile.[protected]@netcare.co.za
Website: www.netcare.co.za

From: Mavis Mkhwanazi [mailto:[protected]@mediasupport.co.za]
Sent: 19 Jul 2017 09:39
To: Lungisile Nsindane; Ziphozonke Lamula
Subject: RE: REF- T689821000

Hello Lungile and Ziphozonke

Surely, someone there with you guys should have access to your old system.

The Hospital in Alberton referred me back to you

May you please provide me with your Manager or Director’s email address

I think they might know who have accesses to these things

It is urgent please

Kind regards
Mavis

From: Nthabiseng Nonyane [mailto:Nthabiseng.[protected]@netcare.co.za]
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2017 3:14 PM
To: Mavis Mkhwanazi
Subject: RE: REF- T689821000

Good afternoon

Thank you for the communication.

Unfortunate this accounts are not on the current system that we are using, kindly email the hospital directly form to retrieve your records.

Thank you

My 2 year old was attacked by fits on Sunday the 31st of July 2017. We got admitted at Butshilo Private Hospital. On Tuesday we went to Akasia Netcare Hospital where we went for MRI and ECG scans, we practically arrived at 10 am and left at 16h:00 pm so it was the whole day. I then asked for a bathroom to change the baby and the receptionist said they do not know of any room designed to change babies. I then went with my baby's father to the bathrooms, only to find the cleaning lady saying that there is no baby changing room in the entire hospital; it is only found in the pediatric ward. So i ask should i be admitted to use the baby changing room. and this takes the cake. she said most mothers change their children on the floor.

I want to complain about Jennifer Bosman, a Credit Controller at Chris Banard Hospital in Cape Town who was extremely rude in dealing with my account issues. she went on to say that I am wasting her time when i requested clarity in some issues RE my account and then she dropped the phone on me. the call was on [protected] at 09:21-09:30. I am disappointment with the overall treatment that i have received from this hospital and I will never spend any penny of my hard earned cash only to be treated like a beggar.

Rgd
Solomzi Mdlangaso-[protected]
solomzi.[protected]@capetown.gov.za

I"m highly disappointed with the service I am currently receiving from Netcare Union Hospital finance department. My wife was admitted by this Hospital in February 2017 as she was suffering from admonition cramps, She was admitted for 7 days and a week after she was discharged we received a email as well as a call from my medical aid explaining that the hospital extended the days my wife was suppose to stay in the hospital and they needed a motivational letter from the hospital to way the stay was extended before they pay out.

I immediately called the hospital to solve this matter and was told that they have not received the letter of requested which I immediately forwarded to lady lady who was assisting me over the line and she told me she has sand it to the doctor that was treating my wife to my surprise a month later I receive a call from my medical aid that they still haven't received the letter, I call the hospital again and was told they will get back to me.

A week later my wife gets a call from the doctors office who was treating my wife at the hospital been informed that she will be charged R750 for sending the letter which we were fine with. Thinking the matter was sorted to my shock I recently receive a hospital bill of an outstanding amount of R11000 I then call the medical who informed me the letter was never received by them, so now fingers are been pointed in different directions and not even one person is willing to assist.

I would really be grateful for any assistance I could get as bills are piling up with no proper explanation to why.

I had my emergency caesarean on 22 Feb 2016 for my baby boy.
Once he was delivered, I was visited by a nurse who asked me if I wanted to be in a private room as there is one available. No one informed me that there will be extra costs involved ( my first baby was At Wilgers hospital also a private room with no extra costs).
Once in my private room, I had to ask three times for them to bring me water with lots of ice, and every time I waited more than 30min for them to either fill it up or bring new ones. They never did this without me asking.
They came to clean my room twice in the four days that I stayed there but afterwards there were still crumbs and ants on the floor on the other side of my bed and my side table was never cleaned underneath the water glasses.
On the second day when I wanted to take my first bath, I had to ask for a towel and I waited 2 hours for them to bring me one. That one towel I used the whole 4 days, they never brought me a clean one.
I breast fed and the day nurses would come and ask me what times my baby fed and how long and they would update. But there was one nurse who would tell me to do it myself even thought I asked for a pen and she said she doesn't have one for me. She also chewed her gum with her mouth open and was very rude.
Sadly I had a terrible experience with my second baby at Unitas Hospital and will never ever in my life recommend anyone to go there or go there myself again. I Had to pay out of my pocket for my PRIVATE room that was worse than any room I've ever been in. Unitas made me not ever want to have another baby in a hospital as its such a delicate time in any mothers life and you feel dirty after your incision and pay and hope for supportive and clean services which I never got.

My daughter was injured at sibiya casino inside the magic company and she was assessed by a netcare paramedics who said that there was nothing wrong with leg she will be ok after 3 days we trusted her after 4 days the swelling never went down so we took her to a clinic they referred her to a hospital and the doctor said how could that nurse tell us that as my daughter's growth bone was fractured and she is with a hard plaster she has to be carried around driven to and from school the head office for netcare was rude and couldn't care less

27 january 2016
On wednesday at around 2am my husband had rushed me to netcare garden city.

I was woken up with severe sweating lethargic and disoriented, vomiting no balance (whereby I couldn't walk and very very confused about what was going on around me) at this point it feels like my brain is shaking in my head and like jelly

I arrived at netcare garden city after nurses had to assist me thru the emergency entrance I went to the procedure where the staff have to check your blood pressure and sugar levels. 20 mins

After the nurses did the procedure I was left in reception without any urgency to assist me I was left in the wheel chair where I fell asleep. After 30mins a nurse came where she wheeled me to the emergency section and told me to get out of the chair and to sit on the bed to wait on the doctor - advising the nurses about my symptoms the nurse told me not to talk crap and that I must not give her attitude.

A male indian nurse then took his time to assist me to get onto the bed being very empathic to my situation and assisted me very well.

The doctor then ask me what was wrong and if I was on any meds I advises that I was on a diet pill and they took blood, all bloods came back clear so the symptoms could not have been due the diet pills I was on but according to the nurses (Female) they see these causes all the time, oh and to top it off I was asked how many pill do I take and why do I take the diet pills (not saying it in too many words whispering to each other overdose)

Doctor then gave me a drip and I was sent home with a script for nausea tabs and a letter booking me off from work for 2 days.

Here's the best part

So later the wednesday morning at 5:30 i'm discharged as the day progresses the symptoms are still not subsided beside for the nausea, I sleep most of the day hoping it would help.

Thursday morning waking up with the same symptoms I call my sister as my husband helps me bath and dress to take me back to a hospital.

We then go to net care milpark, on arrival the nurses greet with respect and ask you what's wrong mam let me help you can I assist you to your vitals?

Within a short time I get to see a doctor in casualty the doctor is advise about the symptoms and the diet pills.

Immediately he orders bloods, ecg and ct scan to be done on me. After doing all on this he puts me on a drip and very light pain meds.

After waiting for all my results before diagnosing what's wrong all my results comes back clear and with a group of experts I was the checked by a ent specialist, and was diagnosed as vestibule neuronitis.

Garden city is the most negligent hospital right after coronation, it should be listed as a government hospital as this a waste of medical funds, this diagnoses could have been picked up at garden city if the doctors and staff were more interested in my health.

Money first and health last attitude stinks

Nurses act as thou they doing you a favor yet you pay so much money for crappie service

An account from the hospital was sent to an incorrect address for 5 months. When Millpark eventually got the details correct and we received the account we paid within a day.

Two weeks later the accounts department blacklists me. I contacted Anita Grobler asking for resolution last week Thursday. Email was sent to Sarah Eavening. No response. I called this past Monday and requested Kobus Venter to call me to resoklve the issue, no response.

Absolutely disgusting. Will this lack of care attitude enventually flow through to the medical staff, I hope not?

So finally after 3 complaints on HP a gentleman called me yesterday, I faxed the documents again. He then calls back requesting a from to be completed, but for some reason they do not have my e-mail address correctly. (How strange as it is linked here). My phone's battery then died. So I tried calling back this morning to be told I cannot be helped or transfered as they offline I must call back again. Why must I keep on calling after them after I escalated the matter twice?