"Lack of care"

My child, who is a young adult, was flown down from South Hedland hospital with a crushed finger. They told us to go straight from the airport to Royal Perth and someone would see them immediately as they were ill-equipped to deal with such a bad injury and they were in danger of losing the little finger on their left hand.

On arrival at Royal Perth in the morning, we were told to wait on the designated seat until the triage nurse would call us to their desk. The triage nurse waited 10 minutes before asking why we were there and then said they could do nothing, we had to go across the road to the plastics unit. Bear in mind it was raining outside and they made us walk there, even though my child was in severe pain and shock!! There we were told to wait in a queue until it was our chance! Finally, an hour after we arrived at the hospital, we were told that my child was too late for the clinic and that we were to go back to ED. Had to wait again. I found one person who, I felt, reluctantly let me tell them what was happening and they took my child through to the back.

Three and a half hours later, they took my child in for an X-ray and said that a plastic surgeon would see them. My child was ushered to a bed where they finally let me see them.

Four hours later, a plastic surgeon came to see my child to say that due to the complexity of their injury, and the dirt embedded, they would have to have a series of operations but they were hopeful they could save most of the finger. Half an hour later, the nurse brought my child a basin and said they had to wash it. When my child asked the nurse to please do it as they were too squeemish, the nurse said you'll be right! Bear in mind that this was an injury on a cattle farm so there was a fair amount of cattle poo and red dirt!

No operation happened that night but they assured us our child would go into theatre the next day. The next morning, they said it was not likely they would be operated on but maybe the next day!

By this stage, I realised it was a lost cause and that they were not prepared to attempt to save my child's finger, in my opinion.

I discharged my child and presented at another service where they did X-rays, washed their finger properly and they were in theatre within 2 hours, where, unfortunately, due, in my opinion, to the wasted time and lack of cleaning, they had to have a partial amputation of their little finger on their right hand.

I realise that it was never a life or death situation, but if even one person had offered an honest account of what was happening, I believe we could have moved my child that first day and there might well have been a totally different outcome. 

What a pity that no one seemed to care enough at Royal Perth. 

They have kept my child fasting and dehydrated and I feel there was zero care!