"Lack of professional assistance"

In 2018, I had a stroke and was rushed to Kalgoorlie Emergency Dept. As I was laying on a stretcher completely paralysed down my left side, the clinician examined me and decided after performing a CT scan that I should go home and take some panadol...really?

It was only after some protesting by my very distraught spouse that the clinician reluctantly admitted me. I was examined by a different clinician the next morning and they confirmed that evidence existed on the CT scan of a stroke and recommended I have further investigation by way of referrals to a neurologist and an MRI.

Upon discharge that same day (yes that same day and still showing symptoms of the stroke), I went straight to my GP who immediately sent me to Perth for an MRI. Immediately after having the MRI, I was admitted to the Stroke Unit in Midland where I spent several days undergoing test after test after test with the inevitable diagnosis was, guess what, a stroke!

The referral for the neurologist came through 6 months later. I was due to see the neurologist again four months after that, but guess what, 2 days before the appt, it was cancelled and I was told it could be as late as another six months later before I would be rescheduled. Well, luckily I got an appt in 3 months' time.

At this appointment, the neurologist I saw said to come back in 4 months for another review. By the way, each time I saw a different neurologist who flew up to Kalgoorlie for the day. However, after waiting almost all of the month where I was due for my follow-up with no news of my so-called pending appt, my spouse and I went to the Kalgoorlie Outpatients Department to find out what is going on only to be told that I had been discharged after my initial neurologist appointment 4 months earlier, really?

Kalgoorlie suggested we contact the Neurology Dept at another hospital which we did, only to be told by them that we had to talk to Kalgoorlie as they are solely responsible for my outpatient appts. We relayed that to the staff at Kalgoorlie and eventually after 30 minutes and some arguing I was finally given an appt in another 3 months' time.

In my opinion, this is clearly an example of the lack of genuine compassion and care that our local hospital casualty and outpatients depts have towards its local residents. Oh, and by the way, almost 2 years later I am still waiting for a referral from the Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital for an MRI.

My question is, just how serious does your ailment have to be before the Casualty Dept will take you seriously? I am fortunate in that I have income protection if that was not the case we would have been in dire straits thanks all to what I feel is the zero level of care shown by Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital.