"Terrible ED experience with my young child"

About a week ago, I had to take my young child mildly autistic to ED as they were unable to breathe from chronic asthma. As we got there the COVID marshal at the door stopped us as my child had a cough and hadn't been tested for COVID so we were told to wait outside, in the freezing cold and wet. I told the rude staff member that we can't wait in the cold because my child can't breathe. Their response was why can't my child breathe? Looks fine to me. I just yelled at them and said because my child has asthma, we're only here because they can't breathe. The rudeness coming from an individual who I literally witnessed was smoking out the front 2 min earlier to a stressed out parent and child trying to get urgent medical attention.

Being forced to wait in the freezing cold and wet until a triage nurse came outside with a hysterical child... then having another ED nurse come out with a RAT test, when I told them that my child is autistic and is terrified of the nasal swab. I recall the nurse said well they won't be treated without the swab being done. I am not exaggerating when I say this nurse was literally fighting my child who was not only petrified from not being able to breathe, but being at a hospital to having something stuck up their nose.

I completely understand why a test is necessary but in no way should a young child be basically fought instead of maybe trying to calm them down and make them feel safe. The first 30min to an hour at the hospital was traumatic for both my child and myself (who works in healthcare). Anyone with an autistic child and working in healthcare should know this is not how you treat a child. I believe they are now more traumatised than ever to do swabs or be checked over by a doctor.

To my knowledge, no other person had to wait outside, we were the only ones. All the people I witnessed coming in coughing etc and trust me, ED was busy that day. I believe they were not swabbed outside. We were there for 8hrs in waiting room and the cubicles. But funny how I saw a dirty RAT test on the floor of the cubicle out the back. There was no reason to keep us in the wet and cold for so long and then make a young autistic child more afraid to be seen by a dr etc for what will probably be years. I feel you do not not treat people the way we were both treated. 

We did have to be admitted, the second a dr finally saw my child they said they would be. We were not wasting staff's time by being there, my child was really unwell.

The nurses on the paeds ward were amazing and made my child feel comfortable. For the things that were traumatic for them, they did everything in there power to make it less scary for my child.

Our time in ED at Box Hill (BH) was horrific and I will never take my child there again, although a big thank you to my child's nurse on ward 5.3. You were a gem and helped me keep my child as calm as possible after a terrible day.

I now understand the stress families and patients feel and I know COVID has been hard on healthcare, especially nurses etc but I believe that they of all people should know how to treat someone.. especially a child. 

A big hosp like BH and nowhere but in the freezing cold and rain to make someone wait that can't breathe? I feel this is disgusting. Another hospital I know of take you into a different waiting area and actually treat you like a person.

Eastern health, I feel you need to train your marshals and maybe get some of your ED nurses to learn how to handle a autistic child. In my opinion, attacking them is not the answer. And yes, it was an attack you should check your surveillance. Nothing friendly there based on my experience.