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A doctor's appointment

Posted By KPOP

"A doctor's appointment"

About: Karratha Health Campus / Surgical Services

(as the patient),

I had an appointment recently at Karratha Hospital Outpatients with a particular clinician.

I found them to be very disrespectful and unprofessional.  After the internal examination and swab was taken, the clinician proceeded to tell me the pain I am experiencing on a daily occurrence is all in my head. They then told me I am obese. My self-esteem is in question as I have been trying to fall pregnant for quite some time now. I  do suffer from endometriosis and have previously had 2 procedures already to assist me falling pregnant.

I felt very hurt and my emotional state was so bad that I couldn't drive and had to be assisted by my mother who had to be dropped off at the hospital to drive me home. I cried so much. I just feel the clinician really lacks a bedside manner and very evidently, in my opinion, has no peoples decorum or manners.

I believe the clinician was very unruly at answering my questions and has left me still with no idea as to what my medical problem or condition is. Therefore I have no alternative but to seek a second opinion. I strongly feel that this clinician should apologise to me or somebody should. I trust this matter will be dealt with accordingly.

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Responses

Response from Liam Avery, Operations Manager, West Pilbara, WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara 3 years ago
Liam Avery
Operations Manager, West Pilbara,
WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara

Operational Management of the West Pilbara Health Services

Submitted on 6/11/2020 at 8:22 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 9/11/2020 at 10:04 AM

picture of Liam Avery

Dear KPOP,

I appreciate just how distressing it would have been for you to provide us with this experience for your outpatient appointment at the Karratha Health Campus. Thank you for taking the time to let us know what occurred. I am so sorry that you were treated this way. To have the medical history you have articulated and to have your pain and concerns dismissed in this manner is simply not acceptable.

The behaviour you have described does not embody our WACHS core values of Community, Compassion, Quality, Integrity, Equity and Curiosity. Thank you for providing your contact details to Care Opinion and taking my call today which was of great assistance to truly understand the emotional toll prior to this event, let alone what transpired afterwards; it has been an incredibly difficult journey for you and your loved ones.

To ensure we have no repeat of this event, Dr. Fitzclarence and I will further investigate this matter. Thank you for agreeing to meet with us both so we can relay the outcome in addition to organising a review with a different clinician. We hope to provide you with better care and answers to your questions while making sure that this does not happen again.

We both look forward to meeting with you soon. Thank you for your courage and time to share this experience and I am sorry that you had to endure this treatment and behaviour. My name is Liam Avery, I am the A/Operations Manager of WACHS West Pilbara and you have my contact details so please don’t hesitate to call me.

Yours sincerely,

Liam Avery

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