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"My child was discharged with a dangerous head injury"

About: Albany Health Campus / Emergency Department

(as a parent/guardian),

My young adult child was taken to ED by their parent recently early one morning. They were discharged that afternoon with, as I understand it, no advice about things to watch out for. They were told to represent for an OT assessment two days later. I drove down from Perth to find they had been at home with vomiting, headache and dizziness. I took them back the morning two days after their first presentation, after a repeat CT and monitoring they were again discharged only to be called back in late that day as they had found something on the CT.

Admitted again for observation. Discharged again the next day. Never once made it to a ward, spent the entire time in ED. In my opinion, the communication was hideous. Even though my child is an adult and gave their consent for myself to advocate for them, they did not. I believe the surgical team promised to provide me with all the details but did not. Appointments were made in Perth without consultation.

Basically, I believe, they expected a young adult child with a head injury to organise everything. It was only when my child made it to their GP that they were told they should not even be driving! No discharge summary. I am disappointed in their treatment. I believe the complete lack of communication and the discharges (2) should never have happened. Very very disappointed, I feel my child was put at risk and it should not be that way.  

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Responses

Response from William MacDonald, Director Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, WACHS Great Southern 2 years ago
William MacDonald
Director Emergency Medicine, Critical Care,
WACHS Great Southern

Is the doctor in charge of the emergency department and the high dependency unit.

Submitted on 7/07/2021 at 4:51 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 4:52 PM


Dear millimeterqd57,

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your story on Care Opinion. Your description of the care provided to your young adult child, and our verbal and written communication does not meet the standard we aim to achieve.

We would like to provide you a more considered response, however to do this we really need to know a little bit more about your adult child’s situation. We would like to review this case in order to learn from your and their experience. Could I ask you to consider contacting my colleague Dr Phillip Montgomery, Director of Medical Services at the Albany Health Campus on 0407 777 367 so that we can set up a proper clinical review? This would help us to identify real opportunities for improvement and reduce the likelihood of others experiencing something similar.

I hope that your adult child is recovering well.

Yours sincerely

Dr Will Macdonald

Director of Emergency Medicine

Albany Health Campus

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