"Triage"

My spouse and I haven’t been feeling well on and off for the past few weeks. My spouse is currently having chemotherapy, they get very tired. We were told by their haematologist, to go to the hospital, if they were unwell and spiking a temperature and to give the red card from the cancer centre  category 2 to the Triage nurse.

Because my partner didn’t  have a temperature on arrival they were placed cat 4 which I wasn’t happy about. I told the nurse that my spouse had been having a temperature during the night but they ignored what I said, I told them that my spouse was exhausted from chemo and coughing and that their temperature would spike again. We were seen by the Dr about nearly 5 hours after arrival and my spouse had spiked a temperature just under 38C. I feel my spouse should never, have been made to wait in that waiting room, for all those hours coughing and feeling like a wet rag. We arrived at the hospital mid morning and left more than 9 hours later.  

Who would have thought, that in Australia! 2024 that people would be queued up, outside the small Triage area outside the exit! One young child waiting, collapsed  ? Unconscious in the small glassed area where the exit is.  and the triage nurse not informed, as I heard them say.  

I believe the waiting room is appalling as well, Elderly sitting in chairs for hours, not offered a drink of any sort unless you had someone to go to the vending machine for you.  As it happened, my spouse has RSV and we have both been coughing during all those hours of sitting there amongst other people. Because of the amount of people in emergency, I decided not to see the Dr myself as I should have done too but I was more concerned about my spouse.

I did request isolation, but there was nowhere, except the children’s playroom but we were waiting in the queue for triage. Need more space in triage area and maybe a ticket system so people know where they are in the queue. Even in the waiting room, personal details between staff/ patient are being discussed for everyone to hear.  In my opinion that’s not appropriate. Very disappointed.