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"Unbelievable wait time and discharge"

About: Perth Children's Hospital / Emergency Department

(as a parent/guardian),

This is the 3rd time we visited this hospital. First 2 visits I feel was the same, had to wait for several hours to be seen by a doctor. I understand that this hospital may be lacking enough doctors, but I believe at least maybe get someone qualified enough to diagnose those in the waiting area and decide whether they should wait or just go back or go somewhere else because I understand certain cases aren’t critical. 

3rd time we visited, it’s with my 2nd child. We were told to get them on fasting from morning because their condition may require surgery. In the afternoon we were told the procedure will only take place the next day, so my young child fasted for nothing. And then a few moments later, they came back saying my child needs to eat within 15mins because they said they can fit them that night for surgery. That’s when my child just fell asleep. 

Fast forward to next day, we thought discharge was the most easiest procedure. But we were in for a surprise. The doctor came in the morning  and said they are happy for my child to be discharged. After that we’ve been bothering the nurse station because no one can confirm when exactly we can go. We end up staying in the ward until mid-afternoon.

Follow up visit to the hospital after 3 days is the same. We had secured an appointment but still had to wait for more than 2hours before we can be seen by a specialist. I feel, what’s the point of having an appointment if it’s not going to be followed? I felt that 30mins wait time is tolerable. But more than 2 hours?

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Responses

Response from Child and Adolescent Health Service - WA last month
Submitted on 11/03/2024 at 8:08 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 12/03/2024 at 9:43 AM


Dear chassisgx66

Thank you for sharing your story on Care Opinion regarding your experience at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH).

We are sorry to hear of the wait times you have experienced with your children at PCH and lack of communication about the fasting times and arrangements for discharge. We recognise that prolonged waiting times can be stressful and it is our expectation that families are regularly kept informed of any delays and help parents support their children in these situations.

We would be very happy to look into your concerns to identify where we can improve our service. If you are open to us further investigating your concerns, I encourage you to contact the Child and Family Liaison Service on 6456 0032 or CAHSFeedback@health.wa.gov.au. We can then provide you with the specific details of your case and elaborate on any concerns you may have.

Yours sincerely,

Nurse Co-Director
Surgical Directorate
Perth Children’s Hospital

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