"Concern regarding patient care observed"

I am sharing my story here as I previously emailed Swan Hill Hospital but have not received a response. Below is a copy of the email I sent, outlining my experience at the hospital.

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to raise a concern regarding the care of a patient I witnessed while visiting someone at your hospital recently.

I arrived at the hospital that day to pick up a patient from the acute ward, room 12. While sitting with them, waiting for discharge, two nurses entered with another patient who had, I believe, just undergone a procedure. Our curtain was drawn, so I could not see the patient, but I could clearly hear what was taking place.

As the nurses attempted to move the patient to another bed, I recall one of them became audibly frustrated. In what I felt was a very rude tone, I recall they told the patient, You weigh two and a half times more than me — there’s no way I can lift you. The nurse then seemingly stormed out of the room, returned with another nurse, and continued to speak to the patient in what I felt was a highly inappropriate manner.

The second nurse questioned the patient about why they weren’t helping them wriggle themself over to the new bed. The patient explained that they were unable to move easily as they had wounds on their lower body where patches had been cut out. Despite this, their explanation seemed to be dismissed.

I recall the first nurse then loudly stated, we are going to need 10 people in here to lift you, before huffing, sighing, and leaving again to find additional staff.

I felt deeply uncomfortable witnessing this interaction. I felt the patient was clearly in a vulnerable state, and the lack of compassion and respect shown to them was incredibly upsetting. It was, in my opinion, completely unacceptable behavior from healthcare professionals.

I do not normally involve myself in situations that don’t directly concern me, but this incident stayed with me all night. I discussed it with my partner, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt that I needed to speak up. I kept thinking, “What if that had been one of my family members being treated that way?”

After visiting your website and reviewing your stated values, I felt even more strongly that what I witnessed does not align with the level of care and compassion your hospital promotes. I feel that the actions and attitudes of the staff involved fell far below the standard that any patient deserves.

I hope this feedback is taken seriously and used as an opportunity to ensure that all patients are treated with dignity, empathy, and respect.