"Information about testing"

I have been left feeling very frustrated after attempting to get COVID testing at the Exmouth District Health Service.

Having returned from interstate early January, we were in self-quarantine and attempting to follow WA health directives to get a COVID test prior to 12:01 AM. I called the hospital prior to attending to check the process for COVID testing for my spouse, young child and myself. I was told, in a way I felt was quite dismissive, that I could not be triaged over the phone and would need to attend the front door of the hospital, recommending that I come sooner rather than later as the outdoor COVID testing area gets direct sunlight in the afternoon and it was expected to be over 43 degrees.

Following directions, I attended the front door, spoke to reception over the intercom, and was advised to place a mask on from the pigeon hole at the door before proceeding to the ambulance/COVID testing area. As a side, the masks in the pigeon-hole were all unwrapped, which I believe poses an infection risk if someone with COVID was to put their hand in to get one, potentially touching other masks.

After proceeding to the ambulance area, we were advised by the nurse that we were unable to be tested until after mid-afternoon due to staff availability. I expressed concern with returning to the corridor at that time, which would be in the full afternoon sun, on the day that will be well over 40 degrees. The staff member was very understanding but advised that they had to follow directions and could not proceed with the testing.

I requested to speak to the nurse to see if there was any way that the testing could be done in the morning so that I did not need to bring my young child back in extreme heat. I explained the testing requirements for travellers returning from interstate, and they advised that because we were not displaying any symptoms (weren't actually sick), they couldn't actually triage us or do the test until mid-afternoon. I again expressed my concerns for several reasons:

- we are supposed to be in quarantine, and returning to the hospital an additional time increased risk of spread if we are infectious

- it would be well over 40 degrees and I did not feel that it was reasonable to have a young child in that heat

- I expressed frustration that the process had not been relayed to us when I called in the morning.

The nurse advised that due to staff shortages there was nothing that they could do and that we would need to return mid-afternoon. They suggested that we could wait in the car and that they would call us when we should approach the corridor for testing. This will mitigate the heat to a degree, but we will still need to be out in the heat for three COVID tests during the hottest part of the day, with a small child.

I asked the nurse if they could please take my feedback as a formal complaint and let me know what the outcome is. They advised that I would need to lodge a complaint myself, which I believe contradicts the WA Health Complaint Policy which encourages service users to make complaints to frontline staff in the first instance.

We will of course return in the afternoon to get the testing done in compliance with state direction but I would like this process reviewed so that we do not need to go in for testing during the hottest part of the day for our day 12 testing.

The Premier himself provided a longer timeline for travellers returning from interstate to get tested, encouraging them not to rush out in the 40-degree heat last Friday. In my opinion, it seems highly counter-intuitive for Exmouth Hospital to be encouraging this testing to occur in the hottest part of the day. 

I believe that there are also greater concerns around the delays in contact tracing if we were to return a positive test for COVID.

I look forward to receiving feedback on how this process, and communication of processes within the staff at Exmouth hospital (e.g. clinical to administrative), can be improved.