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Constant delayed surgery for my toddler

Posted By moonsx74

"Constant delayed surgery for my toddler"

About: Perth Children's Hospital / Emergency Department

(as a parent/guardian),

My young child hit their head while they were playing in school recently. I bought them here after midday and I believe should have been treated straight away but doctor said my child needs surgery as their wound is quite deep. They made my child fast for 7 hours since we arrived and going on to the night because I believe they were not sure if they will do the surgery that day. Then they told us that my child will have to wait till the next day. My poor child was crying because they were hungry. They ate after 7 hours that night, then they said my child needs to fast the next day. My child can’t eat anything before surgery which I do understand, emergency the day before said they will have surgery early morning. Then they keep changing the time it was now after midday, still waiting, my little one is asleep after crying they are hungry and want to eat but I can’t give them anything. It’s very sad watching your little one suffering, they should have told me the night before if they will delay like this. Now I'm feeling frustrated and angry, very poor service and I feel there is no care for little kids. I believe they only had one kid before my child then keep changing their word, and now I believe there were 3 kids before my child then saying my child is 4 on the list. So why did they make them fast from midnight if they were 4th? So frustrating.

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Responses

Response from Carrie Dunbar, Nurse Co-Director, Surgical Directorate, Perth Children's Hospital | Child and Adolescent Health Service 3 years ago
Carrie Dunbar
Nurse Co-Director, Surgical Directorate,
Perth Children's Hospital | Child and Adolescent Health Service

Submitted on 27/08/2020 at 4:03 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 28/08/2020 at 9:08 AM

Dear moonsx74,

Thank you for your feedback regarding the delays your son/daughter experienced while awaiting emergency surgery at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH). I understand that it is difficult for young children, and their parents, when they are required to fast for an extended period of time and delays occur. I would like to assure you that PCH Theatre staff make every effort to ensure operations are completed in a timely manner and that fasting is minimised.

I am very sorry for the significant delays experienced in accessing theatre. I agree that it is not reasonable to expect young children to understand the need to fast for an extended period of time. Delays such as those you have described tend to result from a continual flow of emergency presentations over the course of a day/night requiring emergency surgeries to be done first which alters the lists. All staff try their best to make waiting times for patients as comfortable as possible and I regret that was not your experience on this occasion.

On behalf of PCH please accept our sincere apologies for your poor experience while awaiting your child’s procedure. Whilst the information provided above may explain the situation, it does not diminish the ordeal your family has suffered through, and I deeply regret this was the case. I hope your child is well since their discharge, and has since made a full recovery.

I hope your son/daughter has recovered well from their surgery.

Regards,

Carrie Dunbar

Nurse Co-Director | Surgical Directorate

Perth Children's Hospital

Child and Adolescent Health Service

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