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Gaslit

Posted By Lionesses2025

"Gaslit"

About: Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital / Hepatology Department and Liver Transplant Service

(as the patient),

I had an appointment with the liver clinic recently. I felt gaslit & made to feel like I was wasting their time. As a recovering stutterer, I believe I’m often mistaken for being drunk, high (self-medicated) or stupid at SCGH when I’m not, and I left before my appointment was officially over, in tears.

This is the third bad experience, I’ve had at SCGH & honestly I feel like I just want to carry on the way I’ve been doing, without having any further care from the liver clinic. Yesterday, after being asked a question, I started to answer only to then be told  they don’t have time to go through everything with me.

I found the doctor who saw me, to be very arrogant, impatient & judgmental. Before leaving the reception area of the outpatient clinics, I asked who I need to speak to about a complaint, because I don’t want to fill in a form & have it be dismissed. I needed to repeat myself a couple of times & eventually I received the number for the patient liaison service, which I rang at 3:23pm, only to be met with the answering machine, saying what the hours are. I left a message requesting that someone call me back, no-one did. I am deeply traumatized & still upset by what happened. 

I am no stranger to SCGH, often donating my time to the mocks exam trials & proper exams; Even coming in as a spare abdominal patient, on the day of the exam. 

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Responses

Response from Jodi Graham, Executive Director, SCGOPHCG, Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group last month
Jodi Graham
Executive Director, SCGOPHCG,
Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group

Submitted on 23/10/2025 at 2:49 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 4:40 PM

picture of Jodi Graham

Dear Lionesses2025,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience with us. I am deeply sorry to hear about the distress you’ve encountered during your recent visit to the liver clinic, and I sincerely apologise for the way you were treated.

It is completely unacceptable that you felt dismissed, misunderstood, and made to feel as though your time and concerns were not valued. No patient should ever leave an appointment feeling ignored or belittled, especially when seeking the care they need. I can only imagine how traumatic and frustrating this experience must have been for you, and I am truly sorry that you had to go through this.

I also regret that you were unable to reach anyone at the patient liaison service, especially after trying so hard to address your concerns. This is not the level of care or service we strive to provide, and I am truly sorry for the additional stress this has caused you.

I will personally ensure that your feedback is passed along to the staff at the liver clinic, and I will make sure your concerns about your appointment are reviewed in more detail.

If you are open to it, I would encourage you to contact the patient liaison team (phone: 6457 2867 or email CLS@health.wa.gov.au) who can provide further assistance and ensure that your experience is properly addressed.

Again, I deeply apologise for the distress this has caused. You deserve better, and we are committed to doing everything we can to improve the experience for you and all of our patients.

Kind regards,

Jodi Graham

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