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"Felt unsafe in waiting room"

About: Northam Health Service / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

I was at the Northam Hospital with a staph infection on my face. During the long wait, another patient came in with a helper, possibly family member. They were directed to sit in the waiting area. these two were using obscene language and making extremely racist comments. They were also trying to get others to engage in them with their ranting. They were also very sexist with comments. They were interspersing this with a lot of foul language and were being quite loud, obviously wanting us to hear and fight them, I believe. As well as other problems I have anxiety, panic disorder and PTSD. These were being exacerbated by the threatening manner in which I felt they were carrying on. There was only myself and one other patient waiting in the area. Neither of us engaged with them, but after a while it became too much.

Only after I went to the admin desk and told them I did not feel it was safe for us there with how these two were carrying on did it seem the clerk take any notice. They went to the back, then a nurse came out and went outside coming back with security. As soon as security heard how they were carrying on, he removed one of them and took them outside. He came in to say they would not be allowed back inside.

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Responses

Response from Sherryl Wolfenden, Acting Operations Manager Eastern Wheatbelt, WA Country Health, Wheatbelt, WA Country Health, Wheatbelt 15 months ago
We have made a change
Sherryl Wolfenden
Acting Operations Manager Eastern Wheatbelt, WA Country Health, Wheatbelt,
WA Country Health, Wheatbelt
Submitted on 12/01/2023 at 7:09 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 13/01/2023 at 12:26 PM


Dear not a happy patient,

Thank you for taking the time to bring your experience to our attention. Visitors, patients nor staff, should be exposed to any situations in our hospital where people feel unsafe. Bad behaviour and foul language should not be tolerated by anyone in our service. Following discussions with the ED Manager it has been decided that in the future, the Security Personnel will be located in the ED Waiting Room unless they are undertaking their regular walk around the other hospital areas or assisting with a specific issue. I am truly sorry that your experience in the ED Waiting Room was unnecessarily unpleasant and stressful.

Regards,

Sherryl Wolfenden

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