"Mental Health"

I recently lodged a formal complaint in regards to a week stay at SJOG Midland. My experience was extremely distressing and has resulted in trauma and a fear of returning to hospital. On two occasions since discharge I should have gone to hospital for emergency care but this experience has left me terrified and I couldn’t go. The incident involved what I believe are serious breaches in accordance to the MH ACT, hospital policies and apparent staff misconduct. I lodged a formal complaint and waited 7 weeks for a response. 

This is part of my formal complaint letter:

In conclusion, my experience at Midland St John of God Hospital during my recent admission was distressing and fraught with miscommunication and inadequate care. The apparent lack of attentiveness to my mental health needs, coupled with what I felt was the unprofessional conduct of certain staff members, exacerbated my condition. I believe that these incidents highlight systemic issues within the hospital that need urgent attention.

Recommendations

I recommend the following actions to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future:

Enhanced Staff Training: Implement comprehensive training programs focusing on de-escalation techniques, empathy, and the management of patients with complex medical and mental health conditions.

Improved Communication Protocols: Establish clear procedures to ensure that vital patient information, especially concerning mental health needs, is communicated effectively to all staff members involved in a patient's care.

Patient-Centric Approach: Foster a culture that prioritises patient safety and well-being, encouraging staff to approach situations with understanding and patience rather than authority and judgment.

Review of Policies: Reassess the hospital’s zero tolerance policy to ensure it does not inadvertently contribute to the dismissal of patient concerns, and instead promotes a supportive and inclusive environment.

Call to Action

I respectfully request that an independent investigation be conducted into these incidents to ensure accountability and to facilitate meaningful change within the hospital. I am hopeful that through these efforts, Midland St John of God Hospital can become a place where I feel safe, understood, and adequately cared for.

I just received a 3 page response. This response seemingly re wrote the timeline and incidents and acknowledged it occurred. What I believe is a common tactic to acknowledge the timeline but not actually provide any substantial answers on why things went so wrong, seemingly no accountability and no reason for me to feel any safer if I need to return. Of the 3 page response, this is all that was written in regards to what I felt was MH discrimination and staff misconduct in my complaint…

We deeply regret that you did not receive the level of mental health support you needed during your stay and we are sorry if you felt unwelcome. In response to your concerns, the Ward 3A Clinical Educator provided some ward-based education sessions focusing on mental health conditions and trauma-informed care. This education is intended to guide caregivers on the provision of appropriate individualised trauma-based care for patients who need this specialised care.

It was a serious incident which caused my MH to escalate. Code black was called, and the staff packed up my belongings for me to leave, apparently no discharge protocol, my letter asked why I wasn’t given support by social workers? And many other questions. And all I got was a short paragraph and “some ward based education” 

In my opinion, no answers, no real change. I felt zero respect.