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Poor communication for regional specialist services

Posted By cepheusdd79

"Poor communication for regional specialist services"

About: Broome Health Campus

(as the patient),

In recent months, I’ve had a string of specialist appointments in Broome culminating in a procedure scheduled in Perth.

While all the staff I interacted were wonderful on a personal level, as a system the experience was frustrating.

The main issue was poor communication as my file apparently bounced between departments.

Two months after having a biopsy sample taken by visiting specialist, I had not received result, and it took many phone calls and emails to finally establish the result- the sample was cancerous. Apparently, the result had slipped through the cracks, and the Hospital said the specialist should’ve contacted me, and the specialist, who is based in Perth said the GP should’ve contacted me. I got to the bottom of it, but only by being persistent and knowing how to navigate the system. Otherwise, I would just never have got the result, and the cancer could’ve spread. The thought that this could be occurring with more vulnerable patients is alarming.

Worth adding here that I did have a courteous and apologetic follow-up call from hospital management which was appreciated.

After the procedure in Perth it was never explained to me that I needed a follow-up appointment to get the stitches removed. Somebody from WACHS admin got in touch to organise a follow-up appointment, but this was scheduled as a video hook up, as the receptionist doing the scheduling didn’t seem to have any knowledge of what the appointment was for. So more time was wasted once this was realised.

It wasn’t a big deal, but definitely reaffirmed my impression that the system is disorganised, and the admin side of things doesn’t seem to be adequately resourced to ensure patient care.

I’m only writing so higher up management has awareness of these issues, as I feel it probably happens a lot more than is reported, and could make a tangible difference to health outcomes. The treating staff at both Broome and the hospital in Perth were fantastic.

Thank you for hearing me out!

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Responses

Response from Sue Phillips, Regional Director of Medical Services, WA Country Health Service Kimberley 13 months ago
Sue Phillips
Regional Director of Medical Services,
WA Country Health Service Kimberley

Manages the Medical Services across the Kimberley region

Submitted on 20/05/2024 at 10:33 AM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 10:33 AM

picture of Sue Phillips

Dear cepheusdd79,

Thank you for taking the time to share your recent experiences with us, relating to your interactions with Broome Health Campus and subsequent procedures in Perth. I am heartened to hear that your direct experiences with our treating staff were positive.

Your feedback regarding the challenges you faced concerned me, particularly the system related delays in receiving biopsy results and confusion surrounding follow-up appointments. I understand the impact that such experiences can have on you and your well-being, and, on behalf of the public health system, I would like to offer my sincere apology for any distress or inconvenience caused. It is reassuring to hear that you were able to be persistent in navigating the system and I agree that it is concerning to consider how these communication breakdowns may affect other people who may not have the same resources or understanding to advocate for themselves.

As a health service, we are committed to reviewing this situation, identifying the root cause of the issues and addressing these issues to improve our patients’ experiences and outcomes. I am advised that the Regional Safety and Quality Manager has commenced a review of how biopsy results are tracked and actioned, and the Outpatient Reform Project lead will be following up on the interhospital communication issues from a systems perspective.

As part of the Senior Management Team, I want to assure you that we value feedback like yours immensely. As an executive team, we regularly visit the health care facilities we support and engage with staff and patients to listen and understand their lived experiences, and help us focus on areas we can improve upon. Please know that your lived experience serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing need for improvement within our healthcare system. We are fully committed to this endeavour.

If you have any further information or suggestions to share, we would greatly appreciate your input as we work towards positive changes. Please feel free to contact me directly.

Kind regards

Sue

Dr Sue Phillips

Regional Medical Director and Acting Executive Director Medical Services

WA Country Health Service

08-9195 2453

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