"My recent experience at Ipswich and Boonah Hospital"

I would like to share both a good and a bad experience I had recently when my daughter visited 2 local Emergency rooms. It started in Boonah, at the general hospital. I took my daughter to the ER after complaining at school of her hip being hurt and making a popping sound. When we arrived in Boonah the staff were more than helpful. Tracey the Nurse who assisted us was exceptional when dealing with my daughter. There were another 5 patients who came in and at no one time did her bed side manner change. She explained her concerns and said we were best to go to Ipswich in the ambulance and get an x-ray or scan of her hip as they didn't have the facilities. The doctor was called and he too said that there was a difference in her hips that was concerning. We were transferred to Ipswich in the ambulance (I followed behind as I was told that they would not transfer us back).

When we arrived my daughter was on the bed and the ambulance officer and a doctor in the ER were talking. They got her to get up and walk around. At this stage the two men said that there was nothing wrong with her. I explained that I was disappointed as I had just travelled from Boonah. If the ambulance officer said this back then I wouldn’t have come down. My daughter then said that she was given a green whistle in the ambulance as the bumps made it very painful. I asked the officer again if he thought there was anything wrong and he said no I don’t believe so. I then continued to ask why they give her pain relief in the ambulance. He didn’t answer me and walked away.

The two ladies in the ER said I would need to leave the room now with my daughter as she had been seen and nothing more can be done. I said that I would sit in the waiting room and that I wanted a second opinion as the two hospitals were saying different things and I didn't understand why they would send me down for a scan to be turned away.

About 30 minutes later another doctor arrived and seemed to look at my daughter’s hip more closely and said yes there was definitely a difference in size and movement and because she was still in pain he would get a scan done. We were then moved to the minor acute section where we were seen by two lovely staff, one nurse who seemed to be in charge and a doctor I believe. They were wonderful and even speed up the process as we were to wait around 4 hours for a scan.

I thought the wards person (a lady) that came to take her to the scan was extremely rude to us. At first she said I wasn't allowed to follow my daughter until the nurse said yes I need to go in as she is a minor, then it seemed she wheeled my daughter so fast that she nearly hit the wall and two police officers that were walking through the hall. I had to walk so fast to catch her that I was just about running. She continued to call my daughter by the wrong name. My daughter had her scan and the lady completing this was very helpful and explained a lot to us even showing my daughter where the damage was. She explained that the doctor would explain more but she will be in pain for a few weeks. The ward person was there waiting when we got out and I refused to be taken with her again so the lady who did the scan took us back. I saw the ward person lady pull a face in front of me and heard her say that she had better things to do anyway.

My concern was that an ambulance officer gave my daughter pain relief when he said she didn't need it and the fact that she was underage and I hadn't given permission. Also I thought most of the ER staff in Ipswich were very unhelpful and rude to me and my daughter and diagnosed her without consultation and that we could have been turned away if I hadn't asked for a second opinion. My daughter had damaged her muscles around her hip maybe from a dislocation.

I would like to thank Tracey at Boonah and the two staff members at Ipswich Hospital - the head nurse and the scan lady for all their help and understanding.