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"Critical Care Unit discharge."

About: Angliss Hospital

(as the patient),

Having been admitted to the new Critical Care Unit at the Angliss Hospital with Influenza A and Pneumonia, I was cared for at a reasonable level for the first few days. A couple of days after being admitted I was asked to move to another room in the ward, as the room I was in had monitors. The room I was moved to didn't. I understand that there were many sicker than me in the CCU.

Keeping me isolated, the doctor was reluctant to discharge me four days later and was hoping that I would not be discharged by the next on-duty doctor the following day. That day the doctor didn't come near me until 12:25pm as I was eating lunch. He asked if I wanted to go home, naturally I said yes. The doctor's reply was that they 4 other people waiting for my bed, so they are sending me home. Within 3 minutes of his departure from my room, I had to have my bag packed, get dressed, ring my spouse to collect me and was put in a wheelchair while I watched staff strip and clean the room I had just been in 30 seconds earlier. I sat there for about 5 minutes facing this room, waiting for the paperwork to be organised for the person in control of the wheelchair.

I was removed from CCU with the only instructions being to take the antibiotics they were sending me home with. I was wheeled to the Transition Lounge where I waited for nearly an hour with my spouse for the medication to be brought to me. In the end I was offered the option of waiting for the Pharmacist to dispense the medication or taking the prescriptions to the Chemist on my way home.

While my treatment in the new CCU was pretty good, the discharge procedure (or lack thereof) was absolutely appalling. I get there were sicker people than me who needed the bed, but that does not excuse the disgusting manner in which I felt I was kicked out of the hospital. The fact that there was no Discharge Instructions other than - take the tablets - left me reeling. If that is standard procedure, then the hospital needs to take a long hard look at this process. And next time I will not be using my Private Health Insurance to fund my stay.

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Responses

Response from David Plunkett, Chief Executive, Eastern Health 7 years ago
David Plunkett
Chief Executive,
Eastern Health
Submitted on 14/09/2017 at 12:44 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 1:11 PM


picture of David Plunkett

Dear Pneumonia victim

I would like to thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback regarding your overall care and particularly the discharge process for your recent stay at Angliss Hospital.

I am very sorry planning for your discharge did not meet your expectations. Your feedback indicates to me that we certainly haven't met the required standards here.

This is a very busy winter with increased demand for hospital services, however this is not a reason for things such as, planning for your discharge, to be compromised.

I would like to offer to follow up information for you regarding your discharge and if you would like to contact me privately at david.plunkett@easternhealth.org.au I will ensure this information is provided to you.

Many thanks again for your comments and I hope to hear from you soon.

Kind regards

David

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Update posted by Pneumonia victim (the patient)

I attended my GP today and she was astounded that there was no Discharge information sent home with me and also how rushed the discharge was.

I have now developed pleurisy, just to complicate matters. This was not picked up by the doctor who discharged me. Overall experience - I am glad I wasn't dying. Not a lot you can do now, but I would hate to hear of anyone else being treated like I was, especially the aged and frail. I get that there are sicker people than me. That doesn't justify the deplorable way in which I was treated on discharge.

Response from David Plunkett, Chief Executive, Eastern Health 7 years ago
David Plunkett
Chief Executive,
Eastern Health
Submitted on 15/09/2017 at 2:41 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 2:43 PM


picture of David Plunkett

Dear Pneumonia victim,

I would like to reiterate how sorry I am this has been your experience and continue to offer to follow up what specifically has/hasn't occurred with your care and experience.

I appreciate you mentioned there may not be a lot that we can do now, but if you did make contact privately, I would ask the team to review what happened so we can learn from your experience.

I wish you the best of health noting you recently developed pleurisy.

Kind regards

David

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