"Ultrasound Referrals - Lost and Uncontactable Department"

My partner and I have been going through trying to concieve and family planning. Mid last year, we found out we were pregnant, only to have a suspected miscarriage a couple months later. I recieved an ultrasound request form and was told this was faxed to medical imaging in Kalgoorlie and I should hear from them soon as it was a relatively urgent referral. I waited 3 days and then decided to call given I hadnt heard anything. I called every hour for 2 days and left voicemails with no returned call or staff answering. I then decided to go into the department, and was told no referral was recieved and they were "too busy to answer the phone". I was able to be booked in for the ultrasound the next morning. I assumed this was a rare occurrence of losing the ultrasound request form and not answering the phone, so I didnt think anything of it.

Forward to late last year, we were excited to get a positive pregnancy test. Things were tracking well and at my ~8 week appointment, my GPO referred me for the 13-15 week ultrasound, again at Kalgoorlie Hospital. I jokingly asked for my own copy of the referral given they lost the last request I had, and was grateful I did this as I then had a copy to show. Again I waited to be contacted by medical imaging, however come 13 weeks pregnant and now due for the scan, I had heard nothing. I again tried to call the medical imaging department with no answer, no returned calls to voicemail. I went into the department and was met with the same story. My referral was no where to be found (despite me having watched my GPO email it through) and they were apparently too busy to answer their phones. Luckily I had my copy of the ultrasound form, and they were able to use this to book in the 13 week scan.

And then, the same exact thing happened for my 20 week morphology scan. My GPO sent off the request for ultrasounds when I was around 18 weeks. I waited to hear from the medical imaging department, with no contact. I tried calling on multiple occassions with no answer or returned call. I then went in and was again told that no referral was on the system, despite my GP forwarding my proof of it being emailed through. I again showed them my own copy of the referral as well as the proof the email had been sent. They informed me that "sometimes emails get deleted" and again was told they were too busy to answer phone calls. They booked me in for the 20 week scan the next day.

For this to happen once was frustrating but excusable as an anomoly. Twice is frustrating and a little unbelievable. I believe that three times shows that the medical imaging department at Kalgoorlie have seemingly no admin process, do not value patients and are a poorly run department. I would like to make it clear that this complaint is not directed at the sonographers who conducted my scans - they were amazing. This is 100% directed at the admin staff who do not seem to have basic processes in place. The frustration of not being able to call through to book an appointment is also rediculous. I am lucky as I am able to drive myself and walk into the department. I feel for the patients who do not have easy access to transport or have mobility issues.

I understand the public system is understaffed. But basic admin processes like filing/ uploading referrals (not losing them seemingly every time), contacting patients or answering their phone should be done. The fact that each time I could get an appointment the next day seemingly shows they are not fulfilling their admin tasks efficiently.

This is frustrating, stressful and in my opinion, unbelievable that a department is pretending to run when in actual fact they are losing/ deleting referrals, not answering their phones and not actually helping the patients they are employed to help.