This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?
Care Opinion

Transport to regional towns

Posted By Maypatient

"Transport to regional towns"

About: Bunbury Hospital

(as the patient),

I was admitted to my local hospital and following consultation with duty doctor who spoke to a surgeon at Bunbury Regional Hospital they decided to transfer me by ambulance that night. Even though I did not want to go I felt I was given no choice and an ambulance was arranged. A few days later I was discharged from Bunbury Hospital with no money in my pockets and all my credit/debit cards left at home.

I did not even have shoes with me. However, I felt the hospital staff on duty refused to help me get back to Busselton. I believe different parts of the hospital have transport (cars and small buses) travelling between my home region & Bunbury Regional Hospital every day but I believe they are not coordinated as apparently run for specific purposes i.e. Radiation of Cancer Patients and the drivers do not work for the hospital(s) but are contracted. I explained my problem of transport home as unusual as I personally drive people between the two points on a regular basis but now I needed help it was not available. 

My spouse is still recovering from cancer, chemo burns and a skin graph.   My neighbours are in their 80's etc. The outcome was the surgeon at Bunbury released me just after midday so I was booked by my sick spouse on the mid-afternoon South West Coachlines coach-bus. Unfortunately, due to an error, there was no afternoon coach-bus and I would have had to wait until midnight for the next one. I was left out in the cold from mid-afternoon until night time when I was finally able to organise a lift home. I could have ended up with pneumonia but I was out of the hospital's care because they had released me as "fit enough" to travel home. Care in the hospital was excellent but I felt those in charge did not care about my aftercare. Shame - I wonder how often does this happens.      

More about:
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Glen Matters, Operations Manager Bunbury Hospital, WACHS South West 3 years ago
Glen Matters
Operations Manager Bunbury Hospital,
WACHS South West

Submitted on 22/05/2020 at 11:13 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 12:12 PM

picture of Glen Matters

Dear Maypatient,

Thank you for your feedback about your recent stay at Bunbury Hospital and I hope you are recovering well.

I greatly appreciate your recognition of the excellent care that you received in hospital and will pass this on to the team. At the same time, I was greatly concerned to hear about your experiences once you were stable and able to return home.

I sincerely apologise that we did not find a way to help you return to Busselton as part of the planning for your discharge. You had a trying experience and I am very sorry that you felt staff were not helpful to consider your circumstances and find a way to assist.

As part of planning for a patient’s discharge, our care staff need to assess a person’s home circumstances to determine any relevant impacts and clarify transport arrangements. While transport home is usually the responsibility of the patient and their family, we recognise that people brought to the hospital by ambulance can be stuck for options, as you were.

I have discussed your story with the department leaders across the hospital and we are reviewing our processes for planning a patient’s discharge. You raise a good point about being able to link with the travel movements of the different services and activities of the hospital and a method to coordinate this is possible within our current systems. We are also making sure all care staff are aware of the options we currently have in place and will communicate changes as they are implemented.

In regards to your concern about the decision to be transferred to Bunbury for treatment, I have referred this to the other hospital for their investigation. To enable us to look into your specific concerns, I invite you to make direct contact with our Customer Liaison Officer on 9722 1521 or email swfeedback@health.wa.gov.au

I thank you for bringing these issues to my attention and providing us with the opportunity to improve the way we support patients and their families when they are discharged from the hospital. I wish you well and hope to hear from you soon.

Kind regards,

Glen Matters

Operations Manager Bunbury Hospital

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k