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Over the phone ED advice

Posted By omegacz67

"Over the phone ED advice"

About: Collie Hospital / Emergency Department

(as a parent/guardian),

I phoned ED recently as my child was having severe anxiety and thoughts of self harm.  I explained to the person who answered (I can supply their name on request), the above and that I thought my child may have smoked some laced marijuana and was having a psychotic episode, I also said that they were currently at work.  The person I spoke to said that my child can't work as they have THC in their system and that if I took them home for a good sleep they will feel better.  I was astounded that I had informed them that my child was having suicidal thoughts and I was informed a good sleep will fix it! I thought thank goodness my child didn't reach out and phone seeking assistance from ED for their mental health just to be told that they'll feel better if they have a good sleep!

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Responses

Response from Jeremy Higgins, Operations Manager - Inland, WACHS South West 16 months ago
Jeremy Higgins
Operations Manager - Inland,
WACHS South West

Submitted on 23/12/2022 at 12:45 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 12:46 PM

picture of Jeremy Higgins

Dear omegacz67,

I am sorry to hear that your child has recently experienced severe anxiety and thoughts of self-harm. This must be such a worrying time for you as a parent and very distressing for your child.

I sincerely apologise for the experience you had with a staff member at Collie Hospital when you reached out for help by telephone. I want to reassure you that we are here to support your child, and you as their parent, as you seek the best care and treatment to meet their needs.

My name is Jeremy Higgins and I am the Operations Manager for Collie Hospital. If you are comfortable to do so, please reach out to me so I can more fully understand what happened and ensure this does not happen to another person and their family. Please feel to call me on my mobile which is 0438 062 341.

I would also like to provide you with the details of a service called Rurallink, which is a specialist after hours mental health telephone service for people living in rural and regional communities who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. The team at Rurallink can connect you with trained mental health clinicians who can provide an assessment, crisis support, crisis planning and brief intervention if you need it. Rurallink can be contacted on 1800 552 002. You may also wish to contact Lifeline if you or your child are in emotional distress or need someone to talk to. You can reach someone at Lifeline 24 hours / 7 days a week on 13 11 14.

I do hope that your child is feeling much better.

Kind regards

Jeremy Higgins

Operations Manager

WA Country Health Service South West, Inland

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Response from Daniel Mahony, A/Operations Manager, West Kimberley, WA Country Health Service - Kimberley 14 months ago
Daniel Mahony
A/Operations Manager, West Kimberley,
WA Country Health Service - Kimberley

I manage the Derby and Fitzroy Crossing Hospitals.

Submitted on 3/02/2023 at 7:14 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 6/02/2023 at 9:43 AM

picture of Daniel Mahony

Dear omegacz67,

I hope that your child is feeling better.

I just wanted to reach out to you following the post from Jeremy above. I am currently covering the Operations Manager role while he is on leave. If you wish to contact me directly to discuss your concerns, my mobile number is 0429 298 467.

Regards,

Dan

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