"I didn't feel listened to and felt my surgery was too late."

After visiting two separate GP's with a bite I presented at Rockingham General Hospital (RGH) for further care as my bite was not improving and an abscess was forming on my legs.

I was sent home with general antibiotics and was told it would heal on its own. 24 hours later after the infection spreading considerably down my leg I presented again at RGH and was seen by emergency staff. At this time I advised the nurse I have previously tested positive to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and had not been cleared, I was moved to the surgical ward after 3 hours where I stated to a second nurse I was sure I was still a carrier of MRSA. The nurse could not find this in my file so was told I must be mistaken.

I spent a further 48 hours on the ward on basic antibiotics waiting for surgery to drain the wound, over these 48 hours I told multiple nurses of the MRSA and was ignored, finally on the second day my antibiotics were changed to effectively treat MRSA. By this time my leg was severely infected and the wound had more than tripled in size. I was cancelled one day for surgery with emergencies coming in to the hospital and was then almost cancelled again on the second day due to further emergencies. I was the last patient of the day who was finally operated on.

The next day after seeing my wound I am beyond disgusted at the considerable hole in my leg from a simple spider bite. I am in severe pain and discomfort and have to remain at home for Silver Chain to visit my house daily for multiple weeks. If the surgery was completed in a reasonable time and antibiotics where given which where correct at the time of presentation to ED I would not have resulted in surgery so damaging on my leg.

I have children at home with minimal family help and am unable to walk or properly care for my children. I strongly believe RGH failed in their duty of care to provide reasonable health care in a timely manner.