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"Totally inadequate response to repeated calls for pain relief"

About: Sale Hospital Sale Hospital / Medical Service/Ward Sale Hospital / Surgical Services/Ward

(as the patient),

I was in hospital for a different reason than back pain, however the bed was so uncomfortable I started experiencing severe back pain. I told the nurse and she didn’t seem to take any action. I had no pain relief given. I could not sleep at all that night and in the middle of the night I asked for at least a heat pack which I was given, but still no pain relief tablets. In the morning I asked the nurse on duty could I please see one of the doctors, an hour later I still had seen no one so I went in person to the nurse’s desk and the doctor was there. I asked can I please talk to you and she said I’ll be there in a minute. Half an hour later I still hadn't been seen so I rang my partner, who had to take time off work to come and get me. The doctor turned up about 15 minutes after I had called my partner.  I told her that I was going home and she said we can manage your back pain. I didn't take much stock of this because I had been 16 hours in pain and no appropriate response. I did finally receive pain relief while I waited for my partner, in the form of 2 Panadol and 5mg Valium. I felt this was totally inadequate, and I feel nurses should at least be allowed to dispense Panadeine without consulting a doctor. I found it terrifying that a person can be in hospital in severe pain and no adequate relief is given, it’s just too absurd. Also, three times I visited the shared toilet and the person before me had not flushed and there were faeces and toilet paper, and one time blood as well, sitting in the toilet. It was totally gross.

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Responses

Response from Frank Evans, Chief Executive Officer, Central Gippsland Health 7 years ago
Frank Evans
Chief Executive Officer,
Central Gippsland Health
Submitted on 11/10/2016 at 8:55 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 12:01 PM


picture of Frank Evans

Dear Daisy Mae

I am very sorry to read of your experience in our hospital. The experience you have described is certainly not to the standard of care we are striving to achieve at Sale Hospital and Central Gippsland Health Service. We want to provide the best care, every time.

Joining Patient Opinion and receiving more feedback from our patients is one of many strategies we are working on in order to achieve "best care, every time".

Your feedback will be made available to staff working in all our wards but, in order to assist us to learn as much as we can from your experience, I would welcome more details from you if you are happy to share them with me?

You can contact me on 0351438660 or by email at frank.evans@cghs.com.au

I hope to hear from you and I am very sorry that we let you down.

Yours sincerely

Frank

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Response from Frank Evans, Chief Executive Officer, Central Gippsland Health 7 years ago
We are preparing to make a change
Frank Evans
Chief Executive Officer,
Central Gippsland Health
Submitted on 12/10/2016 at 10:49 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 11:43 AM


picture of Frank Evans

Dear Daisy Mae

Thank you for making contact with me and for providing additional information.

I want to assure you and others following your story that we are taking your concerns very seriously and, as outlined in my email, I will make further contact, once we have completed our investigations, to let you know what we have learnt and the changes that we have made or will be making.

Thanks again.

Frank

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