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"Lack of appropriate care"

About: Broome Health Campus

(as a relative),

My daughter-in-law took her child to the Broome Hospital with a suspected fractured arm after complaining of constant pain. Was given an x-ray and a cast.  A week or so later they were asked to present at the hospital again and the cast was removed and the doctor advised  that there was no fracture and a cast was not required and just needed to exercise the arm. The patient tried to explain to the doctor that they were in constant pain and was unable to sleep but the doctor appear to pay no mind.

After a couple of more days, the mother was advised that her child did indeed have a fracture and needed to come back to the hospital to have another cast. The mother ran around attending to her other children, with no access to a vehicle or funds to pay for a taxi or phone and then proceeded to the hospital in the morning only to sit and wait for over four hours.  

That afternoon, she advised them that she had to leave to pick her small children up and was apparently berated by staff and told that she could not leave.  The level of lateral violence that seemed to be directed at her, almost inferring that she was not a good mother by not staying and waiting. What support did this hospital and their staffs appear to offer to her and her children? It feels like absolutely nothing.   

Upon leaving the hospital to pick up her children, her injured child was in so much pain that they refused to speak with her and left her. I had to pick her up from the hospital, take her to pick up her children, console her when I dropped her off as she was distraught with the fact that her child was still in obvious pain.  She tries very hard to do the right thing by her children. She does not need to be made to feel bad by staff at the hospital who would know nothing of her or her personal circumstances. I understand that the hospital does provide transport services but at no time was she offered help and an alternative offered to her when she advised them that she had to leave. The reason she was back at the hospital in the first place was because it appears the doctor had misdiagnosed a young child, left for two weeks in constant pain and then demand that she bring them back ASAP to fix a problem that they should have fixed in the first place. Not good enough Broome Hospital.

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Responses

Response from Maureen Crowther, Patient Opinion Cordinator, Nursing, WA Country Health Service 8 years ago
Maureen Crowther
Patient Opinion Cordinator, Nursing,
WA Country Health Service

Currently rolling out patient opinion across the Kimberley

Submitted on 4/05/2016 at 6:31 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 5/05/2016 at 9:39 AM


picture of Maureen Crowther

Dear Beetle

Firstly, let me say how sorry I am to read about your daughter-in-law and grandchild's recent experience at Broome Hospital. It sounded like a very stressful situation.

Please be reassured that we are taking your story very seriously and following it up with our complaints department. In the meantime please feel free to contact me on 91949662 or email maureen.crowthr@health.wa.gov.au where we can discuss this story further in detail.

I hope your grandchild's arm is healing well and making a speedy recovery.

Kind regards

Maureen Crowther

Regional Patient Opinion Coordinator

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Response from Holly Hanna, acting Broome Operations manager, Management, WACHS 8 years ago
Holly Hanna
acting Broome Operations manager, Management,
WACHS

Managers Broome Hospital

Submitted on 5/05/2016 at 1:52 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 2:46 PM


Dear Beetle,

I am sorry to read about your grandchild's recent experience at Broome Hospital. It is always very worrying when a child is in pain and I am sorry you were dissatisfied with the care that your grandchild was given.

I believe you have made a written complaint to us containing further contact details and in line with the complaints process I have today directly responded to this. You should receive this letter shortly.

We would like the opportunity to communicate with you further and hope you will be in contact with us following receipt of this letter. In the meantime if you would like to discuss this further you can contact me on 91942855 or email holly.hanna@health.wa.gov.au

Kind regards

Holly Hanna

Acting Operations Manager, Broome Hospital

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