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The Achilles Heal of our Health System

Posted By learningnk58

"The Achilles Heal of our Health System"

About: Joondalup Health Campus / Emergency Department

(as a service user),

Recently, I had arrhythmia and called an ambulance. It arrived quickly and the paramedics were brilliant, in my opinion. As a matter of routine, they pricked my finger to check my blood sugar levels.

Once at the hospital, around 30 minutes later, a nurse pricked another finger. It bled quite badly, but I wasn’t offered a bandaid - just a tissue. I remembered how years previously I’d been taken to hospital and the same pricking took place, then I'd been left in the bed for hours with the tiny cuts on my fingers, getting dirty and irritating me.

This time, I asked for a bandaid, but there weren’t any - in a hospital! I believe they weren’t going to give me any but then after I asked, used the small round ones they use to patch the cannula holes. They don’t go on the finger well. I then heard the patient opposite me, being told they were getting their finger pricked, to which they responded, “Again?”

I understand it is needed, but I feel by pricking everyone who enters a hospital twice and then not putting a bandaid on the small hole, I believe, has to be very unhygienic. Especially when done to people like myself with low immune systems.

Can you please put bandaids over the small cuts?

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Responses

Response from Paul Taylor-Byrne, Deputy Director of Clinical Services - Acute Care, Ramsay - Joondalup Health Campus 4 years ago
Paul Taylor-Byrne
Deputy Director of Clinical Services - Acute Care,
Ramsay - Joondalup Health Campus

Submitted on 6/04/2020 at 12:40 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 12:53 PM

picture of Paul Taylor-Byrne

Dear learningnk58,

Thank you for contacting Care Opinion regarding your presentation to Joondalup Health Campus (JHC) Emergency Department (ED). I am sorry to read of your medical concerns and hope that you are feeling much better.

With regard to being offered a tissue by the nurse following finger prick blood sugar testing, the usual process is to be given a cotton wool ball or a swab.

I wish to reassure you that we do have bandaids in the ED and can provide these to patients who request them and I read from your comments that you did obtain one when you requested.

From our experience, not all patients wish to use a bandaid following this procedure as some patients have commented of sensitivity to the adhesive used in bandaids.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to your feedback. If you would like to contact us for further information, please contact our consumer liaison office on 08 9400 9672 and Alison or Sarah will be able to assist you further.

Please accept our best wishes for your continued good health.

Kind regards,

Paul Taylor-Byrne

Deputy Director of Clinical Services - Acute Care

Joondalup Health Campus

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by learningnk58 (a service user)

Thank you for your response, although it is contrary to what I experienced. I probably didn’t make it clear. Every time I’ve had my finger pricked in the ambulance or at the hospital, I was never offered a cotton wool bud, tissue or band-aid. I have had to ask.

That is why I contacted Patient Opinion.

The process in real life appears to be to prick and forget.

You also state that band-aids are available. Again, the nurse told me there were none available and after a fruitless search, used a Canular “band-aid” which didn’t stick well to my finger.

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