"Poor treatment in ED"

I had a molar extracted at the dentist recently, my face was swelling and there was extreme pain in face. Attended emergency at another hospital a few days later. They gave me needle for pain and suspected it was an infection. They gave me antibiotics. I attended the dentist in extreme pain, it was a possible dry socket which they packed.

I attended emergency at this hospital again. They gave me needle for pain, blood tested, x ray and finally cat scan. I was given oxycodine and sent home after midnight as ct scan results were not in. I was asked to phone back for results in morning so I called the hospital I attended for results. I told them I was going to see the dentist again they informed me to get the dentist to phone and they would fax results. The dentist looked but said everything was healing nicely but I was still in extreme pain. By the afternoon I rang the hospital again, they said if you go to a dr or the hospital in York get them to phone us we will fax the results other than that come over to their ED. Being in extreme pain I decided to go to York Hospital Emergency Department. I’m in extreme pain tears running out of my eyes and I was visibly upset, obviously in pain, a nurse took my obs, I wasn’t there for pain killers I was there to find out what is causing this pain.

The nurse said they were going to talk to the head nurse, a nurse then asked me to get triaged, called me into the room introduced themselves with by first name and ‘head nurse’. They asked so what’s happened, I told the above story. I also told the head nurse at the other hospital wanted me to come over there but when they saw I lived in York they said go to York Hospital and I was in so much pain didn’t really want to be in a car travelling to Northam when we have a facility here.

I asked on three occasions at least can you just phone the hospital for my test results the pain is obviously unbearable. I want to find out what’s causing it. Their response were these exact words, what do you want me to do? To which I replied can you phone for my results? Another response was, I’m only a nurse if a dentist and a dr have told you there is nothing I can’t override them. To which I replied the dentist said it’s healing nicely and the first hospital I attended said to get you to call them for the results. To which I got this lecture of, if the hospital hasn’t told you to come back then your results are clear there’s nothing I can do. There were other comments but these were the main ones. I again said to this nurse I just want you to ask for the results that’s what the other hospital told me to do. The nurse asked if I wanted pain killers, I said no I want to find out what is causing this. They again said I don’t know what you want me to do. At that point I said don’t worry I’m going back to the other hospital. At no time was I offered to see a dr on screen. My adult child was with me and they were waiting for me to say let’s go back to the other hospital from the minute this nurse started talking and we both consider the nurse to be rude and unhelpful. I feel this is not what a nurse should be.

The results of the CT scan is I have a fracture in my jaw.