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Poor Health Service

Posted By Flathead

"Poor Health Service"

About: Broome Health Campus / Emergency Department

(as a parent/guardian),

My child presented to the emergency department at Broome Hospital with a very painful shoulder. Following an x-ray, it was advised that they had a broken collarbone and were discharged a few hours later with a sling.

Upon discharge, it was advised that someone would make contact with us in regards to a follow up fracture clinic appointment. Up until no one has attempted to reach me to schedule an appointment. I have made several attempts to call the fracture clinic at the hospital however my call is never picked up. It is now 4 weeks later and I've finally got a hold of someone who works in the day clinic office who advised that no referral was documented upon my child's discharge.

The lady I spoke to now has been very helpful and has arranged an appointment however I'm pretty disgusted with the poor quality of the service following the discharge. I'm not sure why there are apparently no quality assurance measures in place to make sure patients are taken care of post discharge. 

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Responses

Response from John Robson, Senior Medical Officer, Broome Hospital, WACHS 2 months ago
We have made a change
John Robson
Senior Medical Officer, Broome Hospital,
WACHS

Submitted on 27/02/2024 at 1:17 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 5:04 PM

Dear Flathead,

We want to extend our apologies for the experience you and your child had following the visit to the emergency department at Broome Hospital. We strive to provide the highest standard of care to all our patients, and it deeply concerns us to hear that we fell short of this commitment in your case.

Upon learning of your child's situation, we immediately conducted a thorough review of the discharge and follow-up procedures to understand how this oversight occurred. It is clear from your feedback that there was a significant lapse in our communication process, resulting in the unacceptable delay in arranging the necessary follow-up care for your child's broken collarbone. We unfortunately don’t have the details needed to complete all aspects of our investigation.

Please be assured, we take your concerns very seriously. In response to your feedback, we are implementing several measures to ensure that this does not happen again in the future:

Improved Communication Channels: We are working to improve the responsiveness of our referral process to secondary care facilities and, ensuring that all calls and inquiries from patients are answered promptly and efficiently.

Staff Training: We are reinforcing the importance of thorough documentation and follow-up care coordination with all relevant staff to prevent a recurrence of such an oversight.

We are grateful to you for bringing this matter to our attention and providing us with the opportunity to rectify these issues. The steps we are taking are part of our ongoing commitment to improve our service and care for all patients in our Kimberley community.

Moreover, we are pleased that your son has now been assisted and an appointment has been arranged. We hope that your child is on the path to a swift recovery and that their upcoming appointment will go smoothly. If there is anything more we can do for you or any further feedback you wish to share, please do not hesitate to reach out directly.

Again, we apologise for the distress and inconvenience this situation has caused. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work to improve our services based on your feedback.

(Dr) John Robson | Senior Medical Officer

E:John.Robson@health.wa.gov.au

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