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"Staffing issue"

About: Busselton Health Campus

(as a carer),

During my visit to the Busselton Health Campus recently to see a client who I offer social support to. It has come to my attention that the staff are lacking the compassion, patience and understanding towards my client and their needs.

Upon arrival I was denied entry due to me arriving on non visiting hours even after I explained that I was here on behalf of my company and that the client has had visitors like myself who offer emotional support during the non visiting hours as my client needs the social aspect myself and other co-workers offer the client to ensure their mental wellbeing.

After ten minutes of further explaining myself and providing information that even though I was in uniform I did in fact work for the company I was allowed to see my client, once I got to my clients room I instantly noticed the strong smell of urine and noticed that my clients bed linen had not been changed in a while as the smell of urine coming from the linen was quite strong, I politely asked a nurse that poked their head into the room to see if my client was ok if we could change the sheets as my client was wanting to go back to bed. The nurse told me that they are getting to it and there is a lot of patients compared to staff. I told the nurse I understood what they were saying but I couldn’t move my client to their bed if they asked me too due to the sheets being dirty, only to have the nurse walk away and then another nurse return thirty minutes later telling my client that they were getting to it.

During this whole visit I felt as if my client was treated less than  and the nurses had little patience and understanding towards my client who’s memory is deteriorating.

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Responses

Response from Chris Cox, A/Director of Nursing and Health Service Manager, Busselton Health Campus, WA Country Health Service - South West 6 months ago
Chris Cox
A/Director of Nursing and Health Service Manager, Busselton Health Campus,
WA Country Health Service - South West
Submitted on 6/10/2023 at 12:37 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 1:03 PM


Dear stauspg98,

I am sorry to hear your concern that your client did not receive compassion, understanding and patience. This must be a worrying time for you as a Carer and distressing for your client.

I sincerely apologise for the experience you had with a staff member at Busselton Health Campus (BHC) when you reached out to help and provide support for your client. I want to reassure you that we are here to support your client, and you as the Carer, as you seek the best care and treatment, and I am sorry to hear that you had difficulties in not only gaining access to the Clinical Area but were also frustrated by not receiving a timely response to change bed sheets to allow your client to return to bed.

My name is Chris Cox, and I am the Acting Director of Nursing and Midwifery. 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 in our care at the BHC. Please feel to call me on my mobile which is 0447 266 607 or Daniel Anderson who will be returning to the Director of Nursing and Midwifery Role from 9th October 2023.

I do hope that your client is now improved, and back at home receiving your ongoing care and support.

Kind regards

Chris Cox

A/Director of Nursing and Midwifery.

WA Country Health Service South West, Coastal, Busselton Health Campus.

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Update posted by statuspg98 (a carer)

Upon returning to my client in the Busselton health campus, I noticed that the condition my client was in, was beyond what I believe a satisfactory standard of a patient receiving treatment should be in. They were sitting in their hospital bed that had been soaked through with urine and from my assumption had not been changed in a while as the room as well as my client started to smell strongly of urine.

I understand that during my visit there was a few other patients in the same ward that needed more urgent attention but at the same time deem it unacceptable as well as unethical to leave a patient for so long in the condition my client was in considering staff have been made aware multiple times my client is unable to attend to those needs themselves due to their mobility as well as cognitive difficulties.

Response from Daniel Anderson, Coordinator of Nursing and Midwifery, Busselton Hospital, WACHS - South West 5 months ago
Daniel Anderson
Coordinator of Nursing and Midwifery, Busselton Hospital,
WACHS - South West
Submitted on 16/11/2023 at 1:21 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 2:07 PM


Dear stauspg98,

Again, I am very sorry for you experience at Busselton Hospital. I am still very happy to discuss with you the care concerns raised on Care Opinion. Please contact me if these remain unaddressed,

Yours sincerely, Dan

Daniel Anderson

Director of Nursing and Midwifery

Busselton Hospital

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