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"Felt like I didn't belong there"

About: Angliss Hospital

(as the patient),

I have chronic back pain. I've had it since 2015, due to a herniated disc in L5/S1. On a Saturday recently, I woke up with shocking sciatica down my right leg. I took my prescribed analgesia along with panadol and soldiered on. It was still bad on the Sunday, so I did the same. On Monday it was feeling better until I got into the shower and it re-flared up. I called my doctor if I could take 2 Endone instead of 1, and they said no.

I added that my left knee and foot were numb and that I haven't been able to walk anywhere for the whole weekend and they strongly encouraged me to go to hospital.

I rang 000 the evening of the next day and they set up a taxi to take me to the Angliss Hospital in Upper Ferntree Gully. I got there and I couldn't believe I had to stand for the Triage Nurse to see me. Here I am with leg pain and there's no way to talk seated down. I then wait for over an hour and beg for some pain relief. I get some Nurofen with crackers, but that does little for my pain. 

I finally get into the ER around one and a half hours later and I wait a while to be seen. I ring the nurse buzzer after a while as I can't take the pain. The doctor comes after a fair while and asks why I'm there and examines my back, but there are no further tests as to why parts of my leg are numb. I get one Endone and it does very little to alleviate my pain.

Two hours later, a nurse comes in and starts asking what medical conditions I have, asks what my pain was and what it is now and why I'm there. I tell them all of this and the nurse said that the Endone did barely anything and you're already on a lot of painkillers, and this is a chronic thing. We can't do anything. The nurse makes me feel like I don't belong there and left me feeling incredibly hurt.   

The doctor comes back and asks if the Endone helped and I said that it brought my pain from a 6 to a 5. So not really. The doctor then offered Panadeine Forte and that combo with the Endone got the pain down to a 3. So they offered to write me a prescription for the Panadeine Forte, as I explained my doctor was fully booked for the week. 

When the doctor was coming back up with the script at around an hour later, I overheard them say to a colleague this is their first and last script.

I don't know if that was meant for me, but they gave me the script shortly after without discussing any issues. If there was an issue, why wouldn't they discuss it with me? Do they think that us patients can't hear what they say outside our areas?

I feel extremely prejudiced and want to complain about the overall conduct of your hospital's staff. Your doctor was the one nice person there, and they said that without discussing it with me. Why didn't they come to me, if there was a problem? 

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Responses

Response from David Plunkett, Chief Executive, Eastern Health 4 years ago
David Plunkett
Chief Executive,
Eastern Health
Submitted on 14/11/2019 at 4:57 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 5:57 PM


picture of David Plunkett

Dear Quantum

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience when attending the Emergency Department at Angliss Hospital. I am sorry this experience was not a positive one and that you were left feeling the way you are.

In order for us to follow up your particular circumstances, I would like to invite you to contact one of our Patient Relations Advisors in the Eastern Health Centre for Patient Experience either by calling 1800 EASTERN or by emailing feedback@easternhealth.org.au If you choose to call please be aware that it is possible that the Patient Relations Advisors may be on another call at the time you ring and if so you will be invited to leave a message so they can return your call.

I hope we hear from you soon and that your pain is well under control.

Kind regards

David

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