When having knee surgery, my surgeon said he could operate in my local public hospital but was reluctant because the operating theatre/equipment was at least 20 years out of date. The Mercy Melbourne experience was a world apart from any public hospital experience I have ever had. AMAZING!

After transferring our premature son from the public neonatal unit to Flinders Private, the quieter pace here has made a huge difference to our family. The staff have taken the time to give him a cuddle when I can't be here and to give me a chance for a nap.

I needed surgery and was sent immediately to the Mater Rockhampton. I was seen to straight away by the surgeon. Within 1 hr I was having surgery. The care and compassion given to me by nurses and doctors was wonderful. This is how hospitals should be run.

My son has a Bi-Lateral Cleft of the Lip and Palate. His first op was as an intermediate patient in a State Hospital. It was horrendous. For the rest of his ops we went through a Private Hospital. It was like I was on a different planet. Nurses were wonderful.

My daughter was born premature and needed special care. Sunnybank Private Hospital let me stay with my daughter so I wouldn't have to face going home without my baby. In the public system, I would have been sent home after a few days.

The need for privacy after brain surgery as I received a 24hr nurse to attend to my needs which were many. Even though the shifts changed the same nurse followed on: day shift, afternoon, night so I dealt with only 3 faces that became familiar.

Dec 2009 - April 2010 I had 6 visits to BPH. Each 2-3 weeks. The staff were fantastic and made my lymphoma treatment less daunting by explaining everything to me as it was happening or about to happen. Immediate treatment saved my life. I wouldn't have survived waiting for public help.

Just had elbow operation. Daughter did up an arrow stating "its this arm Dr Shaw". Hospital staff, nurses, anaesthetist all went along taping it to prepared arm and hiding it under the blanket for the surgeon in theatre. Awesome hospital, awesome staff. They go above and beyond.

Stupid country hospital were not concerned by my dangerously low sodium levels. I went into cardiac arrest- transferred to St John of God I.C.U. in Geelong, had another arrest, ended up in a coma, also had an underlying undetected pathological fractured pelvis. That Private hospital saved my life!

7 year old me, asleep in the car, was carried into a hospital by mum, where I received the best of care for the next 7 days to treat my osteomyelitis. Then, a few months later, I went back to have the cast removed by kind, lovely doctors.