"Discharge protocol"

I would like to know how many patients has Fiona Stanley discharged into hotels, motels or even hostels, when they are a country patient who has no one with them, after said patient has had sedation for a day procedure. I believe I have been told this is what will happen to me, because PATS will give me up to $100 for accommodation.

As I understand it, WA Health Department protocol is: After sedation patient must be monitored for 6 hours and then may be discharged into the care of another person. I believe you must have someone with you for 24 hrs after sedation!

Hands up if you have been discharged against Health Department protocol. When they do this to me, as I recall FSH Social worker has told me they will, then, because I believe a social worker has no idea of my medical or mental issues which are many and diverse. Because I feel a social worker has no authority that I know of, to be telling patients this. Mainly because I am sick to death of Health Dept policy and protocol being seemingly thrown in my face as an excuse for anything and everything, I am sick to death of feeling that social workers, nurses and even doctors are being turned into Government puppets, in my opinion. I am sick to death of being made to feel like I am just a number, not a human being that has been under health care constantly for 20 yrs and has seen the change happening. I believe city hospitals are no longer a caring place to be. It seems to me the staff, the front liners if you wish, are made to get those numbers up, or down, whichsoever the Board of the Hospital wishes. I feel patient care is particularly non-existent at Fiona Stanley.

I am thinking of approaching legal aid about these issues. I have a lot of pain issues after my procedure and I believe the hospital should be taking responsibility for my care in that 24 hours, I feel I will not be foisted off with no access to pain meds when I need them. My decision is I will sleep in my car, as close to ED as possible so that medical help is at hand if I need it.

Of course now, as I feel I am a number, there is the chance that I wouldn't get seen in ED either quickly enough and with my issues, if you read somewhere of a patient dying while waiting for treatment, I feel it may be me!

I believe a recent politician has changed Perth Hospitals from wonderful caring centres of healing to businesses that have to make money. You can hear the American health system knocking, in my opinion.