"Disappointing experience"

We are the parents of a child who was scheduled to have surgery at Bunbury Hospital, and whose experience was all round disappointing from the time we arrived at Bunbury Hospital. Our child was (initially second, then moved to) first patient on the general surgery list for that day. We spoke to three different paediatric ward clerks on each of the three days leading up to the procedure - thank you to each of them for their excellent communication and professionalism.

Based on our experience and what snippets of information we were provided by various staff on arriving and leaving, my child:

- Did not receive service (surgery) because medical members of theatre staff arrived to the Hospital late to commence theatre for the day;

- Because the staff member arrived late, and subsequently delayed the scheduled start of surgery, an emergency case presented after my child was scheduled to be operated on, however became then the first patient for the day.

- Understanding emergencies do occur, it was not clear why then a clinical decision was made, without any communication throughout the morning nor any consultation, to not treat my child after the emergency case had been seen, and to instead resume the surgery list for the rest of the day. The decision was made to cancel the surgery completely and send my child home without elaboration. Furthermore, while awaiting surgery in what appeared to be a well-staffed shift on the Paediatric ward:

+ I recall not one of the nurses streaming in and out throughout the morning acknowledged or interacted with my child, a waiting (a very nervous, worried, hungry!) patient, beyond our initial arrival, despite an extended delay being immediately obvious. Ignored;

+ It seemed not one of the nurses considered it a necessary courtesy to provide some sort of update as to what was going on (even to say they are finding out, or simply you haven't been forgotten). Our child remarked numerous times they worried they had been forgotten about.

PS - an offer of a glass of water and piece of toast prior to the Hospital sending the fasting child away would not have gone astray (as has been the experience in other public hospitals). While public hospitals reserve the right to (re)prioritise patients based on acuity, patients also have the right to timely access to services, to receive quality care, and to be involved and communicated with on matters as it relates to their care. Given the consequential disadvantage - having been sent away to continue on life indefinitely with chronic pain and infections remedied by a relatively simple surgery, not to mention the need to fast a second time - will not make the task of returning to hospital any easier (... whenever that will be eventually rescheduled to occur). And I do not blame my child for feeling that way - I assured them they would be well cared for, and I do not consider in any aspect that my child actually was. We ask Bunbury Hospital to consider: Would staff arriving late to the subsequent disadvantage of patients meet with Bunbury Hospital's value of respect and quality?

Would failure to involve patients in discussion and decisions related to provision of their care align with Bunbury Hospital's values of respect, quality, and compassion? Would nursing staff who do not acknowledge, communicate with, or even make simple eye contact, with an anxious, hungry, confused child patient, reflect Bunbury Hospital's values of quality care and compassion?

What will Bunbury Hospital do to make this right in the future?