"Disgraceful treatment"

Recently my child arrived at Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) with 2 Police Officers. Fortunately, Trans Perth Officers had successfully managed to stop them from taking their own life. Once my child was referred to the Emergency Ward, the routine medical checks were swiftly & efficiently carried out. Unfortunately, I believe this is where the efficiency stopped.

As well as depression, my child also suffers from severe anxiety which seemed to have been rapidly increasing due to the situations and people coming and going in the Emergency Ward. After 12 hours of waiting to see the on-duty specialist, their anxiety was through the roof and wanted to check themselves out.

Just after 12 hours, a specialist came to see my child and asked basic questions as to how they were feeling and what triggered them to harm themselves. The specialist stated that they were so busy and didn’t think there were any available beds. I advised them that under no circumstances should they even consider discharging my child as there was every chance they would attempt to take their life again upon release. The specialist advised that they would need to speak with their Senior and come back to us.

After 14 hours of being in the Emergency Ward the Senior Specialist came and spoke with my child, asking similar questions as previous; if they had a job, why didn’t they have a job, how much marijuana they smoked, how they managed to pay for it on Centrelink, that they really had to take responsibility if they wanted help and several other judgemental remarks in regards to my child's lifestyle.

Please note, it is not that I disagree with the remarks, merely that this was not the time to be lecturing someone when someone had just attempted to take their own life.

Eventually, they came back to say they had no beds available and that their previous offer of a bed in the Young Adult ward was not an option as I believe my child would not fit in there. They then said we would need to wait until a bed became available either in FSH or another. My child at this point was worse than when we arrived and their anxiety was through the roof and stated that they could not cope with going to another hospital and certainly not the one that was suggested.

The Specialist then continued to actually argue with my child, saying how would they know what it was like if they had never been. This went on for several minutes when my child said, "there is no point in me being here, I should never have come". The Specialist then, in my opinion, smugly stated: “of course there was a point, you are still alive aren’t you?", who then proceeded to say that this wasn’t my child's catchment area anyway, and so it went on.

Please note, the fact that my child was alive was in no way shape or form thanks to the Specialist or FSH, it was thanks to the compassion of the 2 Trans Perth Officer and the 2 Policemen.

At one stage we were advised we would be transferred to the short stay ward where it was quieter and hopefully calm the anxiety... 4 hours later we were still there and 4 different patients came into Emergency and then I believe were subsequently transferred to the short stay. Needless to say, we were never transferred.

Twenty-two hours after arriving at the hospital, we were visited by a new on-duty Specialist. By which time, my child advised them that they just want to check themselves out as they couldn’t cope anymore. I again advised the Specialist that my child was in no fit state to be discharged, to which they replied they could not stop my child. I advised, that of course they could - as I believe my child was not thinking rationally and not in a position to make good decisions.

I asked what the follow up would be in regards to my child's wellbeing after they were released, to which I was informed they would call them? Really...? and if they never answered the phone, if they left the hospital and immediately attempted to take their own life… where is the good in a phone call?

Needless to say, my child discharged themselves after 24 hours of being in FSH. I believe they left feeling worse than when they entered physically and emotionally and feeling totally uncared for and worthless.

Thank you, FSH for your uncaring, unprofessional, judgemental and in my opinion, a sickening experience. I sincerely hope no other person, regardless of stature, ever has to experience this disgraceful treatment. This was the first time my child had ever been willing to seek help. Since discharging themselves my child cannot bring themselves to seek any further help from anyone and the depression is worse than before. I would like to also assure you that if anything happens to my child in the near future I will be holding Fiona Stanley Hospital fully accountable.