"Experiences at Maroondah Hospital and Box Hill Hospital"

Earlier in 2019 I attended Maroondah Hospital for a Punch Biopsy Left Lasal Alar. I believe the surgeon was extremely abrasive and seemed to take an immediate and obvious dislike of me. After several minutes of mostly distressing and unnecessary conversation instigated by the surgeon, in a setting that was neither the time or the place, they proceeded to administer the local anaesthetic. In between one of the many injections administered the surgeon managed, in one action, to squirt me in the cheek, eye and forehead. They then tossed, not placed, a protective cover over my face. At this point the nurse in attendance immediately lifted one side of the protective covering and said to the surgeon, look, the patient needs to breathe you know. I would not have expected a nurse to speak to a surgeon with the tone and volume the nurse chose to use. Perhaps the nurse was as appalled with the surgeon’s behaviour as I was.

All of this comes off the bat of a number of, in my opinion, distressing encounters with Eastern Health.

In early 2017 I had an ultrasound at Box Hill Hospital. I’ve had several ultrasounds over the years but none that I would have considered painful or which left me with torn skin (I have photos). I’m not sure if this is considered acceptable but looking back over the last number of years I’m now left wondering if it is.

In late 2017 the behaviour of the staff at the Sleep Clinic at Box Hill Hospital was a bitter pill to swallow. I outlined my ordeal in a letter to the referring Sleep & Respiratory Physician, receipt of which went unacknowledged, although I would assume Box Hill Hospital would have this letter on file.

More recent dealings with the Dermatology Clinic in 2018 could have resulted in one less appointment had they been able to find their camera instead of relying on a photo taken on my own failing mobile phone camera. Though the staff were all pleasant.

Despite receiving some very good care over the years with Eastern Health, I’m now left feeling like some kind of punching bag for all the internal rumblings and dissatisfaction within your organisation and am petrified of ever being sent back.