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"ED Dr Disappeared"

About: Albany Health Campus / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

So I suffer from an acute abdominal pain problem and unfortunately this means that every now and then I have to attend my local ED department when the pain hits 10/10. I attended recently Albany ED and once I was taken through, I met my fantastic nurse Connie and met my Dr. The doctor instructed the nurses to give me a pink lady, I had already had one in the waiting area which hadn't worked, and then disappeared.

Poor Connie was unable to cannulate me due to how dehydrated I was and went in search of my Dr. I sat writhing in pain for over an hour on that bed whilst Connie continuously checked on me and apologised. I never saw the Dr again.

After a while another nurse came to help get me cannulated and suddenly another Dr appeared, Kyle. He was a god send and incredibly apologetic at the treatment I had received, or in my opinion lack of treatment, from the other Dr.

Kyle, Connie and the afternoon nurse I had Cora I cannot praise enough. I am however incredibly disappointed and upset at the treatment I received from the first doctor. Whilst I know that I am a regular pain patient, writhing on the bed for an hour begging for help and knowing the nurses can't do anything because nothing had even been charted for me was horrible. I only ever attend when my pain is not manageable at home and this is the first time I have truly felt like I was an inconvenience and my pain was unimportant.

It is the first time I have ever had an ED Dr come introduce themselves then completely disappear and I never see them again. The Dr was still there in ED because I did see them walk past the nurses a few times after Dr Kyle had come and started treating me. 

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Responses

Response from Kate Hambleton, Director, Albany Health Campus, WACHS GS 19 hours ago
Kate Hambleton
Director, Albany Health Campus,
WACHS GS
Submitted on 17/07/2026 at 12:26 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 12:54 PM


Dear Snoopoo,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.

I am sorry to hear about the distressing experience you had during your recent visit to Albany Emergency Department. We appreciate how challenging it must be to live with recurrent acute abdominal pain, and we acknowledge the impact of having to seek emergency care when your pain becomes unmanageable.

I am concerned to read that you felt your pain and concerns were not acknowledged during part of your attendance, and that there was a significant delay in your treatment while you were experiencing severe discomfort. This is not the experience we want for any patient attending our Emergency Department, and I apologise for the frustration and distress this caused.

At the same time, I am pleased to hear of the compassionate care provided by Connie, Kyle and Cora. Your kind words about their professionalism, communication and support will be shared with them and their managers. It is always valuable for staff to receive recognition when they have made a positive difference to a patient’s experience.

We take feedback such as yours seriously, as it helps us identify opportunities to improve the care we provide. While we are unable to discuss individual staff members in a public forum, your concerns regarding the management of your care and communication during your visit will be reviewed by the Emergency Department leadership team.

Thank you again for sharing both your concerns and your appreciation of the staff who supported you. We wish you all the best with your ongoing health care and hope your future experiences reflect the standard of care we strive to provide.

Kind regards,

Kate Hambleton

District Director |Lower Great Southern

WACHS Great Southern

9892 2222

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