"Emergency Department."

I recently visited the Central Gippsland Health, Sale Emergency Department, having had heart palpitations for three days.

I was seen quickly, but placed on a three-lead monitor for a couple of minutes, and told - based on that, we probably wouldn't do anything - you can stay here if you want to see a doctor, but the wait will be around four hours.

The waiting room was packed, and I think that was part of the reason I was fobbed off.

My daughter, who is a paramedic, was appalled at this lack of attention, describing it as negligent, and suggesting I should phone a paramedic to get 12-lead monitoring, and have bloods taken to test for troponin levels.

Because of the lack of other symptoms, an ambulance was not required, but the Ambulance Victoria paramedic I spoke with on the phone was insistent that I should have proper monitoring, go back to emergency, and definitely be seen within four hours.

I went back to Sale Emergency, but they were clearly overwhelmed - people were standing because there was not enough seating.

I left immediately and elected to have family members drive me to Traralgon Regional Hospital Emergency Department about 40 minutes away.

At Traralgon I was spoken to within minutes, placed on a monitor within about 20 minutes and family history taken (my father has a history of heart disease).

I was then taken to a cubicle for 12-lead monitoring for several hours. Blood was taken, x-rays were done, blood pressure and pulse was checked.

Eventually I was sent home with a letter to my GP suggesting a Holter monitor.

I decided to record my experience at a scenario like this could so easily result in an unnecessary death.

IN my opinion, Sale's Emergency Department needs to be properly resourced - we have a rapidly expanding RAAF Base which will result in a large influx of people next year, and we are clearly not coping now.

Perhaps there also needs to be some sort of streamlining to have non-emergency cases directed to GPs.