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Mistreatment by Nurses

Posted By Codethius

"Mistreatment by Nurses"

About: Royal Perth Hospital / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

I have lost all faith in the public health system in WA. Not because of the system, but because of the Nurses I've interacted with at the hospitals.

My most recent experience, Royal Perth Hospital, was the same as all of them since I was diagnosed with Epilepsy 18 years ago. I was taken to hospital because I had a Grand Mal seizure. The Paramedics explained what happened and the head nurse told them, that's not Epilepsy, we need a drug test.

I am tired of the presumption that I am a drug addict.

Who, in any mind, would claim to have Epilepsy in Australia if they didn't have it? It's a condition that disables almost all of my rights to be a productive and autonomous member of society, but in my experience has no support from the government or any other agencies to live with. It's a condition that can kill me at a moment's notice and it leaves me feeling stiff and sore for a week afterwards.

That's terrible as it is, without being seemingly treated like a drug addict when I believe they're supposed to be observing me and taking notes.

I'm done with Hospitals in WA. I'm done with Hospitals in Australia. If I have a serious accident or injury, I'm not going to the hospital for help anymore, because I never get help. I feel I only get treated like I'm a lying addict. What's worse is that after they took my blood, they put me in a crowded room with fluorescent lights and loud noises that, if I didn't leave the hospital, was going to cause me another seizure.

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Responses

Response from Ben Noteboom, Executive Director, Royal Perth Bentley Group 9 months ago
Ben Noteboom
Executive Director,
Royal Perth Bentley Group

Submitted on 30/09/2024 at 12:58 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 1:05 PM

picture of Ben Noteboom

Dear Codethius

I am truly sorry to hear that you have lost faith in the nurses working in public health in WA, especially at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH). I can only imagine the frustration and disappointment you must have experienced from the interactions you described in your Story. We have shared your feedback with the RPH Emergency Department (ED) team as it is important for us to ensure that we are always considering the unintended impacts our actions might have on people who present to our hospital requiring, and rightfully expecting, to receive the highest level of care.

I also acknowledge your frustrations with being placed in a busy and noisy area after your initial bloods were taken. I appreciate the impact this may have had on you following your initial seizure. Unfortunately, our ED is often very busy and there are limited options for placing people waiting for care. We continue to advocate for funding that would enable significant upgrades to our ED, including incorporating low stimulus environments that would provide a more suitable area for people who present with conditions such as yours.

Our staff strive to provide excellent care at all times, and I am sure will be disappointed to hear that this wasn’t your experience with our services.

If you would like to discuss your concerns further, I encourage to contact our Patient Experience Team on (08) 9224 1637, 8am to 4pm or email RPBG.feedback@health.wa.gov.au.

I hope that your future interactions with WA Health take a turn for the better and that your trust in the system can be rebuilt over time. Thank you for sharing your story with Care Opinion.

Kind regards,

Ben Noteboom

Executive Director

Royal Perth Bentley Group

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