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"Hitting brick walls"

About: Allied Health (Bass Coast Health)

(as a service user),

A little background, I am a disabled and chronically ill person and I utilise Wonthaggi Hospital for multiple services. It takes quite a bit for me to complain but at the time of writing this, I am in tears and my health is now suffering. 

1. About 10 weeks before, I had a pretty decent surgery on my knee (at another hosp). After being in a brace for a month I was ready for my post op physio I began at Wonthaggi Hospital's Physio department. Its started out fine but after 2 appointments I was told the physio was leaving. Then the day before my 3rd appointment the physio called and cancelled and told me that as I understand it, I was lucky to be seeing them weekly as they usually see people monthly (which after a knee surgery seems strange to me but ok) and that they have people on a wait list and that I wont get to see a physio until about a month. I'm fresh out of a brace, effectively learning how to use my knee again with no guidance from a physio. I cant afford a private physio so I have to rely on the public system. Recently, I call up for a status update as I have been having to google my post operative rehab for a knee surgery and although the allied health reception is lovely, I was told I would have physio call me back and again, no call back. 

2. Last year I utilised the continence clinic. I felt like I was kind of was fobbed off with a simple phone call initially due to my age.

I was eventually seen by another nurse which actually was done by accident but was eventually discharged and told to do some exercises. 6months down the track my specialist flagged they weren't happy with the results and put in a referral themselves and ordered specific tests. I did get a call from the intake desk and got told id get a call from continence to schedule these tests and then again, no calls. 

I know hospitals have taken a hit in recent times. I know everyone works hard and this is why I have such a high tolerance to wait times and little mistakes here and there but as someone who is disabled and does need to use the hospital and multiple services and is young, this is so disheartening. I feel like I have call and beg regularly to get healthcare and am considering moving to Melbourne so my health doesn't deteriorate due to lack of care staff seem to show in certain departments. 

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Responses

Response from Jan Child, CEO, Bass Coast Health nearly 2 years ago
Jan Child
CEO,
Bass Coast Health
Submitted on 14/06/2022 at 2:54 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 3:06 PM


picture of Jan Child

Dear listengt95,

Firstly, thanks sincerely for taking the time to write this post and make us aware of your feedback. If you didn't tell us how things were for you, we would never be able to improve yours or others experience.

It is true that our staffing is dire and that we are not able to provide the level of care to our outpatient community like we might in usual times. We have been on Code Yellow now for several weeks, because we are so short staffed, and most staff have been diverted to keep our critical services such as the Emergency Department, Theatres and the Inpatient areas, open. We are actively out there recruiting, but sadly so is the rest of the nation, and we have not been inundated with new staff, even though I think we live and work in a fabulous service and fabulous part of the world.

I don't know when things will improve, and I don't know what we can organise for you, but I would be immensely grateful if you could call Kirsten who is the most senior person in the areas you described, on 0436 642 975. She would be very keen to talk though your experience and your issues, and see what we can do.

I can reassure you that there is much work happening behind the scenes to correct, what the pandemic has created. Both at a service level and a state-wide level. Don't lose faith yet - I am very optimistic that things will get better.

Thank you once again for reaching out and please, ring Kirsten.

Kindest Regards, Jan

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