"Mental health and self medicating"

Well where do I start. I actually have never felt so disgusted abut the Emergency Department of Gold Coast University Hospital.

I recently took my teenage child to the hospital through emergency after his doctor advised that teenager was not well and unsafe to return home by themselves due to risk of self harm as my teenager said they will. We waited for 6 hours from the afternoon to the evening. My teenager had been given a Valium for their anxieties and waiting for the so called medical.

I had asked the lovely nurse in Emergency Department that was very busy if my teenager needs to be referred to Royal Brisbane Hospital as they lived there. The nurse said they do not do that and because my teenager came in voluntary they won't - what a load of crap.

Well waiting for doctor the Clinician came in, I felt he was the most pompous patronising medical person I had ever met, after my teenager had openly said they must be admitted. The conversation with me in the room turned to oh well it's just a bandaid effect for a week and then thrown out in the community with outside services.

My teenager knew that but the Clinician was not listening, even though the GP letter advised in writing they must be admitted under mental health. Well from there, the doctor comes in advising my teenager that their shift finishes in half an hour and my teenager's file took them an hour to go through. In saying that, the Clinician throws up their arm, showing a teenager given Valium how they need to make a decision now. 

Well the doctor during consultation takes a phone call, highly rude, then I felt, so condescendingly tells my teenager it is a bandaid effect to go in and be admitted and they need to be accountable for their actions of self medicating. My teenager is well aware but still asking for help.

The doctor leaves for 10 minutes comes back and asks my teenager's decision about 5 times, all times said my teenager needs hospital for their meds to be right, then rehab long term. I was told my teenager had to transfer to Brisbane but another doctor in the morning (I left the hospital in the early hours of the morning) was advised they will be taken by ambulance to another hospital and then go from there. Disgusted.