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"My experience in the emergency department broome hospital"

About: Broome Health Campus / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

Upon visiting the emergency department early in the morning with a suspected broken leg, I was sent home to wait for the xray clinic to open and was not provided with any crutches to do so. When I returned to the emergency department a couple of hours later I was asked to wait without being provided with any way to keep my leg elevated. After waiting for about an hour I asked for crutches so I could make my way to the xray clinic to which I was provided with one crutch and was expected to weight bear on my suspected broken leg.

When I arrived at the xray clinic I had to request a stool to keep my leg elevated as I was in considerable pain. After confirming with an xray that my leg was broken, I was treated and the hospital attempted to send me home with one crutch. As I was told I couldnt weight bear for 6 weeks I requested one more crutch which was provided.  

I felt that no consideration of my needs was given during this process. I was in considerable pain and the hospital made no effort to make me comfortable with a broken leg. Whats more, I was expected to weight bear during this experience, which I did not, as I new it may further damage my leg.

I appreciate all the hard work that health care professionals do and I understand it must be overwhelming at times. However, I think that this must also have a desensitising effect towards the suffering of others. I write this in the hope it may be a reminder that people need to be cared for in the hospital.  

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Responses

Response from James Sherriff, Operations Manager, Broome Hospital, WACHS Kimberley last week
James Sherriff
Operations Manager, Broome Hospital,
WACHS Kimberley
Submitted on 23/09/2025 at 11:37 AM
Published on Care Opinion Australia on 24/09/2025 at 8:51 AM


Dear Hoppy,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience at the Broome Emergency Department. I’m very sorry to hear about the discomfort and distress you experienced during your visit, and I sincerely appreciate your honesty in bringing this to our attention.

Your feedback highlights several areas where we did not meet the standard of care and compassion that every patient deserves, particularly in relation to pain management, mobility support, and communication around your injury. I understand how frustrating and painful it must have been to navigate the hospital with a suspected broken leg, and I regret that we did not provide adequate assistance or comfort during that time.

We are currently reviewing your experience with the relevant teams to ensure that we learn from this and improve our processes. This includes how we support patients with mobility needs, how we communicate care plans, and how we ensure comfort while waiting for treatment.

Please know that your feedback is taken seriously. It serves as an important reminder to all of us that every patient deserves to feel cared for, listened to, and supported, especially in moments of vulnerability.

If you would be willing, we’d appreciate the opportunity to speak with you directly to better understand your experience and ensure your concerns are fully addressed. You can contact myself on 9194 2854, or by email james.sherriff@health.wa.gov.au

Thank you again for your thoughtful message and for acknowledging the hard work of our staff. We are committed to doing better.

Warm regards,
James Sherriff
Executive, Broome Hospital

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