"Kalbarri After Hours Health Care"

I attended the Kalbarri Health Centre due to an emergency in which I knew I needed further scans in Geraldton. I arrived at the health centre and was told there was no doctor present. I was seen and assessed by the nurses and given an appointment later in the morning to see the doctor to get the relevant paperwork required to get the scans in Geraldton. I returned home and had to make childcare arrangements and book appointments for later that day. When I showed up for my appointment I had to wait 30mins in the surgery waiting room to see the doctor. I stressed to the receptionist I had further appointments in Geraldton and needed to be seen ASAP to make these appointments on time. I had already stressed my situation to the staff at the practises in Geraldton that I needed to be seen that day and had to travel 160km one way from Kalbarri, I was able to get the last appointments available with the radiology and a specialised GP (services not available in Kalbarri).

With the delay at the doctors surgery, I was running late to the radiology appointment and had to call several times on the drive down stating I was still on my way and needed to be seen. I managed to just make it in time for an appointment, but that was a very large part due to being minimal traffic on the road.

Follow up treatment involved blood tests. One was completed before leaving Geraldton for the day the other scheduled in Kalbarri for 48hrs time. I got the results from my first blood test within 20 hours, the second blood test - using the exact same blood request form but bloods taken in Kalbarri - I received the results after 5 business days ! ! ! I called the GP clinic in Geraldton every day and requested my results each day explaining my situation only to be told they would follow up and get back to me the follow day.

As this was an unexpected situation for me I was already extremely stressed and emotional, having the extra stress of having to wait for the results did not help!

The service I did receive from the nurses and staff in Kalbarri was excellent and they were very understanding of my situation and circumstance. I know they have their hands tied and wish to be able to provide a higher level of care. Kalbarri Health Centre has many great facilities being unused due in no fault to the current staff employed there.