"Discharge and follow up with one's General Practioner"

Admitted mid-morning to emergency at Bunbury Regional Hospital. All staff were very good and we felt well cared for - blood tests, ECG, X-Rays, CT Scan that took until that night.

At that time the STU doctor gave us a script and explained we should see our GP within 5 days and that Cardiology would follow up within a week or two. This happened within 3 days and we made an appointment for 10 days hence.

Otherwise, we were able to leave without any other intervention or advice.

When cardiology followed up with their call we felt confident that our case was being handled as it should.

This against my natural inclination to ring and check that our GP had been forwarded a report. My mistrust of admin efficiency arising from 2012 when a referral sat on a desk for nearly a week - referral to SCGH for my spouse with ITP and a platelet count of 1 - yes one! Follow up on that found it was because of staff changeover.

That is what has happened here I think. Or perhaps not. We visited our GP at four days later and found they had nothing. Not only that, but I believe they had two previous patients this day similarly referred to their GP by the ED?

We are elderly; my spouse, who has diminishing mental confidence, has been seriously upset by this whole issue. 

Not only that but our adult child, a consultant physician themselves, preferred not to ring on their parent's behalf in professional respect for those who cared for us.

To me, a retired Principal of large schools, I see very good staff performing under pressure and, in my opinion, being undermined by what I feel is a lax administrative process, let alone the COVID worries for us all.

This I write in the best interest of improving your whole system.