"Medication errors"

Dear Patient number 123456

I was very sorry to read your story on Care Opinion detailing your spouse’s patient journey from the Emergency Department (ED) to surgery at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH). Attending the ED can be a very worrying time, and I would like to extend my sincere apologies that this experience did not go as you both expected.

It appears your concerns relate to several key issues: the missed administration of additional antibiotic doses following the initial dose in ED, the cancellation of your spouse’s surgery due to emergency cases, and a further cancellation related to the administration of blood clot prevention medication. I can only imagine how distressing and frustrating this must have been for both of you.

Regrettably, Royal Perth Hospital has been experiencing sustained and significant demand for emergency theatre access, in part due to its role as one of the busiest major trauma centres in the country. In such circumstances, patients assessed as urgent or critical must take priority, which can unfortunately result in delays and cancellations for other patients. Our surgical teams work diligently to assess the demand for theatres daily and to balance risks for all patients. A range of strategies are used to try to manage demand for theatres, such as diverting cases where safe to do so to other sites to free up capacity at RPH, and maximising use of evening and weekend operating theatre time. I hope this provides some context to the circumstances you have described, though fully appreciate it does not diminish your spouse’s experience.

While it is difficult to comment on all the specifics of your spouse’s care, the Patient Experience team at RPH can look into this matter further for you. I want to ensure this is reviewed thoroughly so that appropriate steps can be taken to address all the concerns you have raised. The team is available Monday to Friday on (08) 9224 1637 or via email at RPBG.feedback@health.wa.gov.au.

Please know that your feedback is incredibly important, and I thank you again for sharing your story. The experience you’ve described is not the kind we aspire to deliver at RPH, and I am genuinely sorry that your spouse’s care fell short of expectations.

I wish your spouse all the best in their recovery.

Kind regards

Ben Noteboom
Executive Director
Royal Perth Bentley Group