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"Long wait post appointment time"

About: Karratha Health Campus / Surgical Services

(as the patient),

I had an appointment recently at the Outpatients Department at the Karratha Hospital. The appointment was set for a time I believe was the first appointment of the day. The letter said to be there 10 mins prior, which I was. All papers were filled in by my appointment time and I was ready.

Another patient, whom I knew and believe was doing the same test, told me their appointment was half an hour later than mine but they were already in the waiting room when I arrived.

At the time of my appointment, that other patient's name was called and off they went. Eventually, 1.5 hours after my appointment time, I was called in. I was extremely frustrated having to wait 1.5 hours for what I believe should have been the first appointment of the day. The only thing I can conclude from this experience is that I believe the hospital has a first-come-first-serve policy and appointments don't really matter.

I have to stress that the medical test we both had done was not an emergency procedure and I believe it could have been done at any time. I feel there was no need for preference towards the other patient on medical grounds.

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Responses

Response from Yvonne Bagwell, Regional Director of Nursing & Midwifery, WA Country Health Service - Pilbara 4 years ago
Yvonne Bagwell
Regional Director of Nursing & Midwifery,
WA Country Health Service - Pilbara
Submitted on 26/11/2019 at 9:46 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 27/11/2019 at 10:06 AM


Dear songthrushfb58,

Thank you for sharing your experience at the Outpatients Department at Karratha Health Campus. I apologise for any inconvenience the lengthy wait time has caused you. A one and a half hour wait is not acceptable, especially when you were given an appointment time and had arrived on time.

A review of the way we operate different clinics from the Outpatient Department is currently underway. We will be exploring ways in which we can streamline our processes to enable clinical and non-clinical staff to provide care in the best possible way, as well as how we communicate with patients regarding their appointments and our processes.

I would like the opportunity however to look into your experience specifically, and would greatly appreciate it if you could get in touch with us at WACHS-Pilbara.Feedback@health.wa.gov.au or on 91447630. Your details will help us locate the cause of this delay and identify any underlying systemic issues.

Thank you again for taking the time to provide feedback to us, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Yvonne Bagwell

A/Operations Manager West Pilbara

WA Country Health Service Pilbara

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