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Care Opinion

Anxiety builds to breaking point whilst waiting

Posted By novemberkj96

"Anxiety builds to breaking point whilst waiting"

About: Albany Health Campus / Surgical Ward

(as the patient),

Overall, the experience was positive, however, being told to come in the morning and watching as everyone who I believe came in later got seen started to wear by mid-afternoon. I was one of two people left waiting to be seen.

I had stressed both at intake and to the booking officer I have a phobia of sharp things and after 4 hours of waiting my phobia was no longer in check and my anxiety had me in tears, in the waiting room.

My health record shows I have bipolar, I suffer anxiety and depression, no one explained why everyone else took priority over me or suggested I go for a walk for time out.

I felt the waiting room was too loud and too bright, there were no quiet places, so I couldn't concentrate on reading.

I understand hospitals are busy places and the surgical ward has to deal with cases also coming in through ER but I think during intake it would be worth checking if people with known mental health issues are asked if they would prefer a quiet place to wait and are not kept waiting to the point where their mental health becomes an issue.

Again, I really commend the staff, the nurses that talked me into calming down and the surgeon and anaesthetist were really calming and caring.

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Responses

Response from Juan Clark, Operations Manager, Operations, Albany Health Campus, WACHS Great Southern 3 years ago
Juan Clark
Operations Manager, Operations,
Albany Health Campus, WACHS Great Southern

Submitted on 10/12/2020 at 6:04 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 11/12/2020 at 10:42 AM

Dear novemberkj96,

Thank you for sharing your experience about Albany Health Campus. I was very sorry to read of the distress you experienced. Our surgical services have been extraordinarily busy leading up to Christmas.

Pre-admissions requirements for surgical procedures often take up to two hours to process so patients are asked to come early enough to allow for this. We will usually have different specialists in several theatres operating at the same time. Whereas some procedures take several hours, others take only minutes so it can sometimes look as if everyone else is taking priority. The hospital must also accommodate emergency procedures via the Emergency Department. This can occasionally delay scheduled appointments due to the very nature of these being unplanned and unexpected. Staff strive to keep patients and visitors well informed throughout the process and I am sorry if this was not the case for you on this occasion.

We are currently redesigning our surgical services waiting area and I would welcome suggestions. I would be happy to meet with you, show you the plans and listen to any ideas you might like to offer. If this is something you would like to become involved in I would be pleased to hear from you on 9892 2647.

Thank you for your positive feedback about the care you received. This is always rewarding for staff and it has been shared with all concerned.

Kind regards,

Juan Clark

Operations Manager

Albany Health Campus

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Response from Juan Clark, Operations Manager, Operations, Albany Health Campus, WACHS Great Southern 3 years ago
Juan Clark
Operations Manager, Operations,
Albany Health Campus, WACHS Great Southern

Submitted on 18/12/2020 at 5:20 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 21/12/2020 at 10:50 AM

Dear novemberkj96

Thank you so much for getting in touch. I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with me recently. Your feedback is invaluable as a consumer of our services and facilities.

Listening to your experience and insights gave me a perspective I would never have heard otherwise. I understand it is not always easy for people to speak up about their experiences. I hope this will encourage more of our patients, carers and visitors to share their experiences; knowing they will be heard and that their feedback does add value and can make a difference.

As discussed, I will share your suggestions with our Disability Access and Inclusion Officer who is gathering feedback into our redesign from a network of allied health professionals. We are still in the early planning stages and we will keep you updated as plans progress.

Kind regards,

Juan Clark

Operations Manager, Albany Health Campus

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