Thread: Public Hospitals, what a joke.

Originally Posted by Numpty's Missus

And...as for the physical abuse posters...well, when you've had a couple of punches in the face, or an attempted stabbing like I have in the last few years at work, it puts a whole new perspective on how you might get upset by a few angry words eh?

Had I been anything but polite then I could understand her behaviour but as there was nothing more than a simple enquiry made, I totally fail to see how she or anybody else could justify the manor in which she conducted herself.

My wife was in agony but not once had she or I asked for anything of any of the staff nor did anything occur in the waiting room during the 2 hours we were there that could justify for this bitches behaviour.

Her totally unwarranted behaviour made what was already an extremely painful situation for my wife, an absolute misery.

I am going to follow through and report this bitch to her administrator and I suspect nothing will come of it but as posted above, if this bitch has a record of similar behaviour or does the same to someone else in the future then maybe her administrator can see a paten.

Anyway, again thanks for all your support for my wife.

Originally Posted by drivesafe

When I get verbally abused by any person, with absolutely no grounds for her to do this, I most certainly have the right to brand her as being a bitch and you may be offended because I called a “colleague” a bitch but I find it just as offensive for anyone to consider it OK for one of their “colleagues” to be abusive just because they are a fellow “colleague”

I’m quite sure, as you posted, that Triage nurses get abused, but this bitch did not got abused by me in any way shape or form and therefore had absolutely no reason to be abusive.

If I had a means by which I could prove the way the bitch behaved, I would follow the advice of a few of the posters on this thread and put her into the head of administration, but as there were no witnesses, there is no case for her to answer.

Drivesafe

I don't know what happened to you and you don't know what happened to the triage nurse before you arrived, yesterday or in the previous months or years she has had to triage at the front of a system that is not perfect.

A system that is suffering because we can't train enough doctors and nurses to meet the needs of the community and to top that off a GP system where it is cheaper to go to a hospital than to go to the GP where the patient shuld have gone.

Irrespective of that, verbal agression is never acceptable from the staff or towards the staff. Neither is labelling someone doing her job "a female dog".

If you do feel aggrieved and your case is justified, write to the director of the Emergency Department or the clinical director of the hospital in question. I can assure you that all complaints are treated seriously. However don't be emotial in your written complaint, be a matter of fact and clearly state the issues as they were for you. Remember that most emergency departments have electronic timing on the patients records so they will know exactly when you arrived and when you left and the workload in the department while you were there.

If you don't get satisfaction of an apology from the staff member who has aggrieved you so greatly you will know that at least it has been investigated.

Diana

Yes, the system certainly has its problems but I fell I must speak up in its defence...

I had "chest pains" a couple of months ago which turned out to be from a quite treatable ulcer (thank goodness) - but the treatment I got in "emergency" (as casualty seems to now be called) was nothing short of very good / excellent.

The staff checked out fully the potential coronary causes and reassured me that it was ok to "cry wolf" - something I had been quite reluctant/cautious about.

I have nothing but praise & apprecation for them on this, the only occasion I've had to go near them since when I can't remember

.... my two cents worth...

First of all I hope your wife is OK and I do urge anyone with these type of injuries to get to a doctor or emergency department asap, but also be prepared to wait. Consequences of not going to a doctor can be horendous.
While I agree there was no need for the attitude you received and you should make an official complaint, triage is there for a reason. You may have been better off going to see a GP. Having an empty waiting room and not being seen is B/S and you should complain. I know there have been a few time in emergency waiting with patients or family where we have been forgotten and the nurses thought we would crack it, but normally has priority 1 patients have come in.
Broken toes and fingers are a low priority if there are worse. And believe me I know the pain of being in pain and having to wait hours, but if I can see people worse off going first I am OK. I have had to wait with severed thumb, broken ankle, broken rib etc.
I deal with similar on a regular basis and this weekend has been one of those weekends where everyone with a cold or a headache thinks they are dying and a priority one, when in fact you have a priority one sitting in the medical centre to be transferred. And while not intentional by the end of a few of days of this non stop you do start to get a bit short, normally not intentionally, especially with people who think it is a chemist shop. Its not nice but bear in mind some of these people are dealing with people who think they are the priority day in day out. This is still really no excuse for her attitude though. It is hard to be polite all day every day in this situation though and these people do it day in day out.
The biggest problem is there are too many people who abuse the emergency department system and go there with common colds and ailments because its free when they should be seeing their GP. This cause the clog in the system.

Originally Posted by Gromit68

In Australia, at least - all x-ray films are reported on by a Radiologist. It just may take longer to obtain that report in a busy trauma hospital.

Not in my, or most AFAIK, public hospital. Emergency xrays are normally not reported unless specifically requested. The radiologists are too busy with the higher-tech stuff to look at obviously broken arms.

Hi Drivesafe,
I am glad that your wife is on the mend now. But I am very sorry to hear you have been treated like that. It does not increase one's faith in the medical system. But in defence of them, there are many people who go inito emergency for any little thing at all. It is these people and also the shortage of resources who hinder the system from treating people like your wife.

Some years ago now, my mother took her grandson into a hospital in Darwin, very high temp, delirious, etc etc. Been up with him all night, with cold baths, ice packs etc. Went into the hospital at 08:00. He was seen at 22:30. given a panadol and told to go home! Another sleepless night and the doctor saw him the next day. He phoned the hospital infront of my mother and abused the ______ out of them. he was not impressed at all.

A while ago I heard on the early ABC news that a man had died in the waiting room of a hospital in Victoria. I cannot remember where though. Heart attack apparently. However it was only mentioned once. I suspect that they were told to pull it off the news.

So yes things could be improved a bit. Nothing much has changed though.

I had a serious burn on my foot once. (The skin had come off entirely) Went into the hospital. the nurse a quick look at it and said to go home and just wrap gladwrap around it as it was not serious.

Went to another hospital, and where I knew the head of casualty. She read the riot act to me for not comming in sooner. (It would have been about 18 hours since the accident).

In Switzerland it has gone to the stage that, if you need a doctor after hours you call the police first, they take the message, symptoms and the Dr calls you back. So much abuse has gone on (as well as muggings for drugs)
Hospitals will see emergency cases but they do not like to do that. It is generally preferred that a Dr see you first, then he sends you to hospital if need be.

Originally Posted by CraigE

First of all I hope your wife is OK and I do urge anyone with these type of injuries to get to a doctor or emergency department asap, but also be prepared to wait. Consequences of not going to a doctor can be horendous.
While I agree there was no need for the attitude you received and you should make an official complaint, triage is there for a reason. You may have been better off going to see a GP. Having an empty waiting room and not being seen is B/S and you should complain. I know there have been a few time in emergency waiting with patients or family where we have been forgotten and the nurses thought we would crack it, but normally has priority 1 patients have come in.
Broken toes and fingers are a low priority if there are worse. And believe me I know the pain of being in pain and having to wait hours, but if I can see people worse off going first I am OK. I have had to wait with severed thumb, broken ankle, broken rib etc.
I deal with similar on a regular basis and this weekend has been one of those weekends where everyone with a cold or a headache thinks they are dying and a priority one, when in fact you have a priority one sitting in the medical centre to be transferred. And while not intentional by the end of a few of days of this non stop you do start to get a bit short, normally not intentionally, especially with people who think it is a chemist shop. Its not nice but bear in mind some of these people are dealing with people who think they are the priority day in day out. This is still really no excuse for her attitude though. It is hard to be polite all day every day in this situation though and these people do it day in day out.
The biggest problem is there are too many people who abuse the emergency department system and go there with common colds and ailments because its free when they should be seeing their GP. This cause the clog in the system.

CraigE, in my area on the South Coast of NSW it can take 2 to 3 weeks to get in to see your GP or any GP, so the Hospital, is in most cases the last resort.

Drivesafe, was there any CCTV present in the waiting room, if so you could use the tape as evidence in your complaint.

EVERYONE, thank God we don't live in the USA, you think our Hospital system is stuffed, try getting ill or injured over there, Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by Tank

CraigE, in my area on the South Coast of NSW it can take 2 to 3 weeks to get in to see your GP or any GP, so the Hospital, is in most cases the last resort.............

Important point. For the last eight years I have suffered continuing severe pain from neuralgia following shingles. I was told by my GP when I finally got to see him that it was probably too late to prevent this outcome, and I should have seen him earlier, ignoring the fact that I got the first appointment I could (a cancellation), five days after the first symptoms. Had I known the need for immediate treatment I would have gone to casualty (I had correctly guessed that I had shingles, but had not heard of "post herpetic neuralgia" nor the fact that it could be largely prevented by anti-viral medication).

It always amuses me in a wry sort of way when you hear "should see your GP", whether it is an alternative to visiting the hospital or simply to check on an injury or minor illness or possible health problem. Over much of the country, visiting your GP involves making an appointment days or weeks ahead - even if it does not mean a trip to a town that may be hundreds of kilometres away. Many if not most country GPs have closed books and will not make appointments for new patients - heaven help you when your doctor retires, and a large proportion of them are close to it.

John