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"Treatment of unconscious patient"

About: Royal Perth Hospital / Emergency Department

(as other),

This is about how Royal Perth Hospital’s staff handled an indigenous patient losing consciousness in the emergency department’s waiting room recently mid-afternoon.

The patient came into the emergency room in a wheelchair and the nurse in charge of them did not assess them. Instead the nurse asked the patient to walk to the seats and they stumbled on their way to the seats and fell unconscious. They sustained a head injury with active bleeding because, in my opinion, your nurse failed to do their job. I believe the patient's injury was preventable had the nurse done their job of assessing the patient properly.

The patient was not aggressive or agitated - they were unconscious. Three  members of security staff also came into the room to respond to an unconscious patient. While unconscious, the patient accidentally urinated himself and security staff, I recall kicked and yelled at an unconscious patient to not to p*** themselves.

When another person in the waiting room politely spoke up in the patient's defence, security staff chose to intimidate this person telling them it is not their business. Security staff also returned after the patient was taken into the emergency department to tell the person they're not allowed to record security and I felt intimidated the person into showing them the phone. There is no such law, and no security staff is absolved from being held accountable.

This is not how government employees should respond to anyone.

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Responses

Response from Ben Noteboom, Executive Director, Royal Perth Bentley Group 12 months ago
Ben Noteboom
Executive Director,
Royal Perth Bentley Group
Submitted on 13/05/2024 at 1:31 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 1:31 PM


picture of Ben Noteboom

Dear pelicanfp75,

It is certainly worrying reading your story and I can appreciate how confronting such a situation would have been for those in the vicinity.

I would like to reassure you that all patients are offered a high standard of care in our Emergency Department.

I am glad you have raised your concerns with our Patient Experience Department. This has allowed us to gather some specific information, such as dates and times. This permitted senior staff of Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) to commence a thorough internal investigation, including viewing CCTV footage, body cam footage and interviewing staff involved.

On completion of our investigation, should anything be deemed untoward, be reassured the necessary measures will be taken.

While there is no law against members of the public filming in a public area, in the interest of privacy and consent, staff may ask for the footage to be deleted. We are also reviewing our guidelines and education in this area.

I would like to thank you for sharing your story and wish you all the best.

Kind Regards,

Ben Noteboom

Executive Director

Royal Perth Bentley Group

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