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Urgent request for testing

Posted By JoonCOVID

"Urgent request for testing"

About: Joondalup Health Campus

(as a parent/guardian),

My child recently underwent a surgical procedure. A few days prior to their surgery date my child was unwell with fever. We consulted the surgeons room immediately and their anaesthetist advised us the following day of the hospitals requirement for COVID testing for surgery to proceed, and to do so urgently.

I called through to the COVID Line who informed us that with doctors letters, that we would be able to present at Joondalup Hospital for COVID testing, given that drive through clinics had already closed by the time I had been asked to obtain COVID clearance.

I took my request form, covering surgical letters and my young child to Joondalup Hospital COVID Clinic, only to be refused by the second nurse attending, on the fact that my child did not have symptoms of fever or cough to warrant an examination.

I proceeded to inform the nurse that I had been advised by my child's specialists to seek urgent testing, that their surgery could not be delayed and that I had letters for testing, but the nurse repeated again that my child did not currently have symptoms to warrant testing and turned us away.

I had to make a second trip out the following day to a drive through clinic and chase the Pathology results the following day and have those results urgently faxed to my child's surgeon, which were thankfully received later that morning (the day before surgery).

I'm thankful only to the promptness of the diagnostic service and their receptiveness to the urgency of results. I feel the lack of consideration to circumstances and confusion of advise between Helplines and 'Covid Testing Centres' added frustration to an already stressful time.  

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Responses

Response from Brendon Burns, Deputy Director of Clinical Services, Executive, Joondalup Health Campus 3 years ago
Brendon Burns
Deputy Director of Clinical Services, Executive,
Joondalup Health Campus

Senior Nurse Manager

Submitted on 15/07/2020 at 2:12 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 2:14 PM

Dear JoonCOVID,

Thank you for contacting Care Opinion regarding your recent attendance at the Joondalup Health Campus (JHC) COVID Clinic. I apologise for any distress and inconvenience you experienced following the Clinic’s decision not to swab your child.

The Manager of the COVID Clinic has been provided with your feedback.

The Manager explained that when a patient attends the clinic, they are triaged by a nurse who asks them a standard set of questions prescribed by the WA Department of Health. The responses are entered into an iPad and the results indicate whether the patient meets the criteria to be tested. If the result indicates testing is necessary, the patient is transferred to the next stage for swabs to be taken.

The JHC COVID Clinic does not provide testing for pre-procedure clearance. At the time of your post, patients who required this test needed to attend the Western Diagnostics Pathology clinic based at JHC. I apologise that this was not communicated to you.

As from Monday 6 July 2020, the WA Department of Health confirmed that patients without symptoms undergoing aerosol-generating procedures will no longer require pre-operative COVID swabs.

If you would like to contact the hospital so that we can undertake a detailed investigation into the concerns you have raised, please contact our Consumer Liaison Office on 08 9400 9672 or email consumerliaison.jhc@ramsayhealth.com.au.

Thank you again for taking the time to provide your feedback about your recent experience at JHC.

Please accept my best wishes for your child’s speedy recovery from surgery.

Yours sincerely,

Brendon Burns

Acting Director of Clinical Services

Joondalup Health Campus

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