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My spouse has cancer

Posted By Country-Bloke

"My spouse has cancer"

About: Royal Perth Hospital / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

I believe the Royal Perth Hospital are only giving my spouse 50mg Tramadol every 2 hours for pain relief. My spouse cries from the pain so much they black out to go to sleep and it seems no doctors arrive until about 8:30am (If my spouse is lucky!). They have taken bone samples out of their ankle and still no morphine has been given, their drugs wear off around 3am, they don't arrive to resupply my spouse with tramadol until the morning when they get there.

My spouse has an infected fractured ankle so they cant walk and in my opinion, the nurse who cares for them has no experience with the drug equipment my spouse is hooked to. 

At the time of writing this, it has been 6 days my spouse has screamed themselves to sleep, (I sleep in my spouse's room with them to care for them) I have been told we would still be here for another week or two. I still hear my spouse screaming while I'm asleep in my dreams. I need help to stop this trauma I feel my spouse is going through. 

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Responses

Response from Lesley Bennett, Chief Executive, East Metropolitan Health Service nearly 2 years ago
Lesley Bennett
Chief Executive,
East Metropolitan Health Service

Submitted on 26/05/2022 at 3:27 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 3:27 PM

picture of Lesley Bennett

Dear Country-Bloke,

I have to say when reading your story on Care Opinion, that I was overwhelmed by your experience of witnessing your partner go through such pain at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH). It is also concerning that there appears to have been a delay in administering appropriate analgesia.

Patients with complex needs often have varying degrees of pain requiring specialist treatment. Pain management can be an evolving process (based on the individual needs of the patient) requiring a coordinated approach that may take time to adequately control. I am deeply sorry to hear of your partners traumatic experience and am thankful that you have brought this to light through Care Opinion.

I am unable to comment on your partner’s particular healthcare needs, but can assure you that early intervention is vital in order to provide the right advice and treatment for patients who experience chronic pain. The Acute Pain Service at RPH provide a multidisciplinary approach to pain management and I am hopeful that your partner is now linked-in with this service and already receiving the care that they need.

Without knowing your particular details it is difficult to comment further; however, I would urge you to discuss these concerns further with the Consumer Engagement Unit on (08) 9224 1637, 8am to 4pm or email RPBG.feedback@health.wa.gov.au so a full investigation can be completed and improvements made where necessary.

We are committed to providing the highest quality of health care we can offer for our patients and I would like to sincerely apologise that in this instance you and your partner did not experience this.

Thank you for letting us know of your experience so that we can learn and improve the care we deliver to our patients and the community.

Kind regards

Dr Lesley Bennett

Executive Director

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