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Care Opinion

Care in the Emergency Department

Posted By Caspian

"Care in the Emergency Department"

About: Fiona Stanley Hospital

(as a relative),

My parent attended the Emergency Department at FSH over the weekend for an issue relating to their neck. 

During my parent's stay, they were put on a drip & sent for an ultrasound. 

My parent informed me that they were sent to the x-ray room, & was correctly identified, but then asked to remove their shoe & sock for scanning of their ankle, despite repeatedly saying that the problem was with their neck.

When my parent was discharged from ED, they returned home with the IV cannula still in situ. My parent removed it, however was unaware of the amount or duration of compression required to stop the bleeding, which they found quite alarming. 

I am sure that departments such as this get incredibly busy, & I am sure staff were doing their best. However I find the lack of attention to detail concerning, particularly with the risk of infection from cannulation & the subsequent health issues that may have arisen. Importantly, these incidents relate to Standard 2 (Partnering with Consumers) & Standard 3 (Preventing & Controlling Healthcare Acquired Infections) of the National Safety & Quality Health Service Standards, so I feel that they should be addressed to prevent confusion, or harm to, future patients.

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Responses

Response from Neil Doverty, Executive Director Fiona Stanley and Fremantle Hospitals Group, South Metropolitan Health Service 4 years ago
Neil Doverty
Executive Director Fiona Stanley and Fremantle Hospitals Group,
South Metropolitan Health Service

Submitted on 5/06/2019 at 12:42 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 12:49 PM

picture of Neil Doverty

Dear Caspian,

I was very concerned to read of the experience your family member had when they attended the Emergency Department at Fiona Stanley Hospital. A busy department is not a reason for misreading referrals or inadequate discharge planning of patients. It is an expectation of all departments to not only check that they have the right patient but they also confirm that they are undertaking the correct procedure before this occurs. Additionally, there is a check that is required before all patients are discharged from the ED, this is to minimise the risk of devices such as IV cannulas being left in situ. I would sincerely like to apologise to both you and your parent that this occurred and assure you that this is not the care that is expected to be delivered by the Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group.

It would help us immensely if you could contact the Patient and Family Liaison Department at Fiona Stanley Hospital and provide them with the details of who your family member is and when they attended the Emergency Department so that we can fully investigate the specifics of what occurred on this occasion and how we can minimise it happening again.

Kind regards

Neil Doverty

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