"Poor clinical care"

We presented to FSH ED with an unwell 9 month old with severe dehydration. We were given ATS 3 and placed in a consultation room.

We were not medically assessed for several hours and despite heavy parental concern, I felt our clinical concerns were not taken seriously despite numerous requests of clinical escalation. 

Fluid intake was not tolerated but no nursing observations escalated the lack of urine output for several hours and clinically very dry. 

A CARE call had to be placed and extremely heavy parental pushing asking for NGT feeds before it being reluctantly completed, despite no urine output for 10 hours. 

Both parents were Senior Health Professionals and felt we were ignored constantly. A subjective reduction in observations occurred once complaints were made. 

The outcome was for a transfer to another hospital's ED 11 hours post presentation to FSH.

I felt the care provided lacked compassion, empathy, strong clinical governance and, in my opinion, was an embarrassment to the WA health service. 

Yes the department was busy, yes staff were short and run off their feet, yes this is a systemic problem absorbed by individual clinicians.

I’d hate to have been a parent without medical knowledge - the outcome is already poor, I believe it would have been poorer without this.