"Neurosurgery and my housemate"

In April 2024 I returned home to find my housemate of 24 years whom I consider the relative I never had having seizure.

I called ambulance and ambulance arrived less than 5 mins later.

Was transfered to Royal Perth Hospital, then Armadale Hospital and then Sir Charles.

Was transferred ultimately to Sir Charles as they worked out my housemate had a brain abscess.

My housemate was on a drain for intravenous antibiotics for approx 9 weeks and then on a drain for nearly 2 months and was seen regularly by physio team whom would aid them to walk around the ward .

My housemate then got Covid and was shifted to isolation room. It was whilst there that it was decided that my housemate required a collar to aid the drain. As they were unable to leave bed due to collar walking with physios was no longer possible.

My housemate then had EV shunt approx 9 weeks later and returned to ward to await a transfer to Fiona Stanley Rehabilitation.

Nurses and physios noted that my housemate’s ability to walk had ceased but no investigation was initiated.

My housemate was transfered to Fiona Stanley Rehabilotation when a bed became avail approx 5 weeks later.

After 3 weeks at Fiona Stanley and after I began asking why my housemate was unable to walk an investigation which involved MRI SCAN on the spine revealed they had what was called adhesive on spine which called for Spinal Decompresion Surgery and my housemate was transfered back to Sir Charles Gardiner for the surgery..

Was there approx 7 weeks after the surgery and given a letter for a follow up appointment of the spinal surgery.

Transfered to Osbourne Park Rehab. On the day of my housemate’s follow up they were transfered by ambulance to Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital for the follow up appointment with the consultant whom had performed the spinal surgery.

I went along in the ambulance as I was asked by staff if I would like to accompany which I did.

Upon arrival we was all asked (the ambulance people and myself) by the Dr what we was doing there whilst my housemate was in stretcher as they had cancelled the follow up appointment.

We was told it had been cancelled as my housemate had been discharged (my housemate was not discharged was simply sent to rehab as Osbourne Park Rehab is sister hospital)

We was then sent back to Osbourne Park Rehab Hospital with no follow up taking place! And the Dr saying see you again in 6 months.

Why would same Dr want to see again in 6 months if they had cancelled this follow up also does not make one iota of sense at all!!?

Ambulance staff remarked that it was all very, very strange and that the Drs delivery was seemingly very very unprofessional.

When we arrived back at Osbourne Park Rehab the nurses in the ward was all quite very stunned to see that we had returned back so quickly as they expected us to be at Sir Charles Gardiner for most of the day for the follow up and asked us all (2 ambulance staff and myself) what had happened and how the follow up had gone..?

We explained that Dr had not done the follow up as they had stated to us that they had cancelled the follow up appointment and that it was an admin error and end result was that they had simply sent us back.

We was at Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital for all of 7 minutes!

The nurses checked their computer and came to hospital room and informed us that the Dr had not in fact cancelled the follow up as it was still on their computer (request to transfer to Sir Charles Gardiner for follow up of spinal surgery appointment)

A few weeks later same thing occured but with sleep clinic in that I was to bring sleep machine to Sir Charles Gardiner to swap out modern.

But mistake was made and sleep clinic asked what housemate was doing there as they did not need to be there as they did not need to see my housemate it was just the machine which I had organised to take there!

The ambulance people could not believe it as they was the same ones whom had transported housemate to the spinal surgery follow up approx 2 weeks prior and then same thing.

However in this case I told ambulance and hospital that it was a mistake but I was told it had come up on their computer and they had also rang the sleep clinic to check appointment.

Sleep Clinic was very upset and dismayed that housemate had been transported by ambulance and was in corridor in stretcher for no reason other than to watch whilst technician swapped sleep machine.

Machine was switched simply because it was quicker and technician did not want him in stretcher in corridor of clinic for any longer than need be as my housemate was not supposed to be there at all!

All of this is a small slice of the mishaps that have occured if I was to list everything that seems to me very very wrong that has thus far occured I feel I would need to be able to type maybe 3000 words which I understand is impossible.

In a civilised and wealthy country as we are here in Australia I find it hard to accept that this is acceptable of our health system and not that it makes any difference but is also a private patient from the very start of all this up to present day and is only middle aged!

I believe the hospital has made some very bad mistakes which has resulted in loss of mobility and am unsure of what to do