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Emergency department Fiona Stanley

Posted By pegasusmh75

"Emergency department Fiona Stanley"

About: Fiona Stanley Hospital / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

I was sent to ED by my GP as I was very unwell.  My Dr decided I should go to ED as I was bleeding heavily after an IUD expulsion.  I needed an U/S, Blood tests. As I understand it, I needed someone qualified to check there was no obvious injury. I needed to be fixed.

My GP wrote up a letter for me to take to ED with me. 

It was unfortunate that it was an unusually busy day that day. 

It was about a 40+ minute wait to just get triaged. 

I was then told I would be sent upstairs to a different clinic that was open till 6pm. I was not told what clinic.

I don't know if I was seen at the correct clinic as it was well after closing time when I was seen.

I had a resident? Have a quick look 

They came back with a script from the Dr on duty and a pill. I told them I could not afford the script but they couldn't help me. I was then sent home.

I am shocked that bloods were not requested to check for infection.  I needed to see a gynaecologist to physically check everything.  My Dr had called someone and checked that Fiona Stanley could handle my case, my Dr was told they could.

I know I wasn't dying so I'm not complaining about the waiting times, but I was very unwell.

I had no funds to pay to see another Dr the next day and I could not afford the script. I do feel like they weren't thorough enough.

I do appreciate their hard work though, on what was a stupid busy day. I just think as I wasn't sick enough I was perhaps overlooked a bit. 

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Responses

Response from Ged Williams, Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services, Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group, SMHS about a year and a half ago
Ged Williams
Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services, Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group,
SMHS

Submitted on 2/11/2022 at 3:40 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 5:38 PM

Dear pegasusmh75,

Thanks for reaching out, and I’m sorry to read of your experience at our Emergency Department (ED).

If it was an unusually busy day, we still aim to see patients in a timely way, and a 40 minute wait to be triaged is not the standard we strive for. I do apologise for this. It sounds like you experienced a few communication issues with our staff. Yes they are busy and work extremely hard (thank you for your appreciation – I did note that and I also appreciate them), however improving communication is a current focus of ours. Specifically improving communication so that our patients feel heard, and just as importantly, understand medical decisions and treatment. Implementing Teach-back, an evidence based simple communication tool is one way we are addressing this. Communication with you could have been better, and I also apologise for that.

It sounds like the “upstairs clinic” was our Ambulatory Emergency Care Centre (AECC) – a service we implemented last year to help reduce overnight admissions for patients who could be managed at home, as well as to alleviate some pressure on the ED. If this is where you went, I am sorry it was not explained to you.

It is difficult to comment on specific medical decisions regarding your care without a proper review of your presentation and medical notes. We are more than happy to look into this for you – and to that end I do encourage you to contact Patient and Family Liaison on 6152 4013 or FSHFeedback@health.wa.gov.au.

I hope that you have now recovered well, and thank you again for providing us with your valuable feedback. I appreciate your understanding and the balance between positive and negative feedback.

All the best,

Ged Williams

A/Executive Director

Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group

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