"Wound care"

Recently, a home service came to my home to change my hand dressing. The nurse asked me to call Royal Perth to get instructions as what to do as my hand looked infected again. I called Royal Perth and spoke to someone who said they would call back. I didn’t receive any call.

I use this service every other day because I almost had my right thumb lacerated off and broken in a motor vehicle accident. I was discharged from Trauma after hand surgery without my wound being checked. I was readmitted that weekend with frank pus and necrotic skin. I had a further two GA’s for hand surgery and discharged again. 

Recently, I arrived 15 minutes early for my scheduled appointment, mid-morning at plastic outpatients. I had my x-ray taken, I told the reception I was back and waited. The nurse that was looking after me called in a clinician that went to x-ray after I had already come back. A while later, the receptionist called out my name and asked if I’d been seen yet as I believe they noticed my file was at the bottom of the pile. I said I hadn’t but could see they were very busy.

I was called in shortly afterwards. I saw the doctor, had my K-wires taken out and was told that my nurse would be in in a moment to dress my hand. They didn’t come back, it seemed they kept walking up and down the corridor and chatting to the patient across from me. I believe they even sat down on a stool for a good chin wag. I have PTSD from the accident so I was getting very anxious. At this point, I had been there for nearly 3 1/2 hours. When the nurse next did their walk up and down the corridor, I asked if they would do my wound. They said not yet. I waited. I was very tempted to do it myself. I asked a different doctor to mine; if I could get my wound covered so I could go and they said they were a very busy department and I’d already had an infection? 

I saw my nurse again and asked them to dress my wound or I was going to leave and do it myself; they said, go on then. I picked up my things and left, called into the chemist on my way home and dressed the wound myself. It’s now Sunday and no apology has been forthcoming.

I have already sent a letter of complaint to Royal Perth about negligence regarding my treatment while admitted but this really is the icing on the cake, in my opinion. 😢😢