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Limited services in remote hospitals

Posted By TBSC

"Limited services in remote hospitals"

About: Tom Price Hospital / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

I live in Tom Price. It is a lovely small town with lots of young growing families. 

Last week at 13 weeks pregnant I woke up in the morning bleeding.

I rushed up to the hospital in Tom Price really concerned about the welfare not only of my baby but myself.

The staff were great, but the services or lack there of I feel are concerning. 

The only thing the staff could offer me was Panadol and a Tele health appointment with a Dr as it was early in the morning. The staff couldn’t check the welfare of my baby nor did they offer to check me (apart from general triage checks such as blood pressure etc).

The Dr also could offer no advice until I had an ultrasound. The staff at the hospital 'thought' there was a sonographer on later that day but I felt there was no urgency to check my baby or the cause of my bleeding. I was told I could wait for the Dr to come on in a few hours or go home and come back in a few hours. We chose to go home as we have a young child who was at home.

A couple of hours later, we found out from a midwife that there was no sonography on that day. We went back to the hospital (my bleeding had increased by this time) and we were told to wait. We waited around 45 minutes before we decided to drive to Karratha for help. I do not fault the staff but I believe it is really concerning that the staff at the hospital are unable to check the welfare or viability of pregnancies. There are so many young families and expectant parents in our community and the time it takes to drive to Karratha could have devastating consequences for a family.

We are a growing community here and I feel our hospital is pretty much a nursing post. I wanted to share my story to bring it to the attention of WACHS that I believe we need more support/services in our town. 

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Responses

Response from Sarah Hennings, Operations Manager, Inland Pilbara, WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara 6 months ago
Sarah Hennings
Operations Manager, Inland Pilbara,
WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara

Manages the operations of health services located in Inland Pilbara

Submitted on 6/10/2023 at 8:43 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 9/10/2023 at 9:44 AM

Dear TBSC,

Thank you for providing your feedback on your recent presentation to Tom Price Hospital. I am sorry to hear of the challenges you experienced and want you to know that your well-being, and that of your baby, is of utmost importance to us.

I understand your concerns about the availability of medical services to our community, particularly sonography. Sonogrophy services are provided out of the Hospital weekly on a Thursday and Friday, baring service provider illness or transport delay/cancellation, which unfortunately affected the provision of services the Thursday of your attendance. It is clear that the lack of timely information about the availability of sonography services contributed to your frustration. I understand that, in some cases, locum medical officers may have the ability to undertake bedside ultrasounds, but this is not always a standard skill. We acknowledge that better communication and coordination with specialised sources could potentially have provided you with more reassurance during your visit. I am glad to hear that you were able to receive the care you needed in Karratha.

I can only imagine the distress you must have felt that morning. Your concerns regarding this situation are taken seriously and in addition to your recent concerns regarding access to a sonographer appointment, lead me to further encourage you to contact me directly at 0499 525 088 or via email at sas.hennings@health.wa.gov.au. My aim is to work closely with you to find a resolution that not only ensures your comfort and peace of mind as you progress with your pregnancy but also helps improve the overall experience for all expectant mothers in our community.

Thank you for acknowledging the dedication and care shown by our staff during your visit, I will ensure they are aware that their commitment to patient well-being shines through, despite any challenges we face in providing comprehensive care in our small town.

Once again, please accept my heartfelt apologies for the difficulties you faced. Your well-being and peace of mind are paramount to us, and we are dedicated to ensuring that future experiences for expectant parents in our community are as smooth and supportive as possible.

Kind regards,

Sarah Hennings

Operations Manager

WACHS Inland Pilbara

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