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"Appropriate referral not made"

About: Hedland Health Campus / Emergency Department Hedland Health Campus / Surgical Services

(as a parent/guardian),

My child had an accident which resulted in them having the top of their finger amputated. They attended ED and was verbally told to return to wound clinic the following week. The day before my child was told to attend, I called outpatients to find out whether my child required an appointment for this, and they stated that they did, and were able to make an appointment. If I hadn't followed up on this, I am not sure when we would have been contacted to make an appointment.

After attending wound clinic for a week, I asked when my child was going to see the surgeon again, as we had had no medical guidance regarding their management. The nurse checked and there was no referral for my child for general surgery, despite it being mentioned that this was the plan in their ED notes when the nurse checked.

My child has had a very brief review by a surgeon recently, who was unaware of the whole situation, didn't listen to the history and provided advice in front of my child that differed vastly from what we had previously been told by ED staff who provided the initial management, and who had consulted with plastics. This new information and the manner it was delivered in was quite alarming for my child. 

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Responses

Response from Margaret Abernethy, Operations Manager, East Pilbara, WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara 14 months ago
Margaret Abernethy
Operations Manager, East Pilbara,
WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara
Submitted on 3/03/2023 at 4:07 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 5:40 PM


Dear talonbs45

Thank you for taking the time providing your feedback of your recent experience at Hedland Health Campus. I was concerned to read about the conflicting information and advice provided to you for the ongoing care of your child. It is understandable as a parent you want to be able access the best possible health care for your child, and I can see you advocated for them strongly.

I would really appreciate the opportunity to conduct a thorough investigation with you and the senior clinical teams at the health service to address all of your concerns and identify opportunities for improvement. I can be contacted by phone on 08 9174 1040, or alternatively my email address is Margaret.Abernethy@health.wa.gov.au. I look forward to speaking with you in the near future.

Kind regards

Margaret Abernethy

Operations Manager East Pilbara

WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara

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