"Attendance for broken elbow"

I presented at the Emergency department at Bunbury Health Campus on a couple of months ago in the early afternoon.

My adult child drove me and attended with me, as I had broken my left elbow, and likely also my wrist, after a fall.

Prior to entering the E.D., I was cursorily checked at the Hospital Entrance for Covid-19 symptoms and donned a flimsy blue mask.

Before I was assessed, I was told that I would need to take a Covid R.A.T.

I politely declined for personal reasons.

I was then assessed by the Triage Nurse and told to sit in colour-coded chairs whilst I was proceeded to the Emergency Entrance proper, behind a number of other Patients.

After waiting some time, and shuffling along the various coloured seats, during which time I gave my details and personal information to the Administration staff. I moved up to the entrance of the Emergency Department, and was closely seated amongst 5 or 6 other cases.

We were all wearing flimsy blue masks.

Some 10 or 15 minutes later, the Triage Nurse appeared and insisted that it was necessary for me to go with them.

My child accompanied me, and we were led back to the Emergency Department front door, where we were told that - although it was my choice not to take a R.A.T. -which was completely fine, I was required to remain in an isolation room until a Doctor could examine my injury.

- This, half an hour after we had arrived.

We were both placed in a small room seemingly devoid of air-conditioning and with windows which were non-transparent.

After more than an hour, a Doctor came in and assessed my elbow injury, - determining that I had likely broken my elbow, and would require an X-ray.

The doctor asked me if I had had any treatment or painkillers, and I replied that I had not.

At no time was a possible injury to my wrist considered - only to my elbow.

The Doctor informed me that I would shortly be supplied with painkiller, and I would be moved to the Radiology Department.

Some time after the Doctor had left us, the Triage Nurse once more entered the Isolation Room – wearing only a flimsy blue mask, and informed me that as I had declined the R.A.T, it had become necessary for all the staff involved in the Radiology area to prepare sufficiently for my arrival, as a patient in declination of a R.A.T. was to be considered as "COVID positive".

It was apparently a requirement that everyone involved in my X-Ray would have to don full protective body-suits and face shields and gloves etc.

Approximately 3 hours after arriving at the Hospital, another Nurse arrived at the Isolation cell and checked my personal details.

They then gave me one Oxycodone tablet – which I was happy to ingest, as I had been in great pain since my arrival.

During this time, and for the next couple of hours, my child was proceeding unhindered in and out of the Isolation cell for snacks, water, toilet and enquiries as to how long it might take to get the X-ray.

At each inquiry, they were informed that it was quite an exercise to prepare things for my move to the Radiology area.

We waited patiently whilst observing very few other cases in the E.D. through the small window in the door.

It was early evening when another Nurse – dressed in full protective outfit with face-shield and gloves etc. arrived and escorted me to the Radiology department for X-ray.

Accompanying the nurse were two large Security persons with simple blue face-masks and two-way radios and Tasers.

This Nurse informed my child that they were unable to leave the Isolation cell to be with me, and proceeded to escort me to the Radiology department – perhaps 50 metres away.

I was required to place a face shield on my head.

One security guard was walking ahead of me and one shortly behind.

The fully 'protected' Nurse walked beside me.

I recall whilst making this small journey, the Security guard at the front of this 'Walk-of-Shame' aggressively, in my opinion, shouted at any person within a few metres to reverse their course and get out of the way.

I recall “Get back! Get Back!... COVID positive!.... possibly!”.

After making this, in my opinion, completely ridiculous and insulting walk to the Radiology department, I was directed to a room for an X-ray.

When I entered, I was presented with a lovely Radiologist who X-rayed my elbow with the greatest of consideration.

They were very close to me when manipulating the position of my arm.

During this process – which lasted perhaps 3 or 4 minutes, I noted that they only wore a very thin surgical mask, and no other protective clothing.

I felt the return to the Isolation cell was equally as ridiculous as the walk to Radiology.

Indeed, quite a few unmasked Hospital staff seemed to be chuckling at the apparent idiocy involved.

After my return, we waited for at least an hour before another Doctor came to talk with me.

They informed me that it would be a valuable thing for me to have a CT scan, and perhaps as I had waited so long, I might come back at a later date for this.

I agreed to this proposition.

This Doctor gave me some Codeine painkillers, and my child and I left.

It was approximately 6 hours later when we left the Hospital.

I believe there is more stupidity involved in my case in the following weeks, but for now, I will leave it at that.

The treatment I received at the hands of most of the Staff I saw at the Emergency Department at Bunbury Health Campus was, in my opinion, nothing short of disgraceful!

I would rather go to a walk-in Doctor surgery where I think I would get some considerate treatment.