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Care for my baby

Posted By circinusnt44

"Care for my baby"

About: Newman Hospital / Emergency Department

(as a parent/guardian),

The Doctor is on and refuses to examine or support my baby ‘medical need and care’

It seemed nurses try to advocate. Call the executive on call.

Told the executive can’t make the medical officer see the child and then given what I feel is ridiculous (and I am sure the statistics for the day and time frame would prove wrong) statement that it is entirely appropriate for my baby to be referred to ETS and implied this is common practice.

So my child who is medical verified by barium swallow study to aspirate on fluids is re-presenting with increased work of breathing raspy and changed sounds on examination by stethoscope by nursing staff - referred to a non-contact over a iPad service despite a trained, qualified professional Dr being physically here - in fact I can hear them chatting away about what seemed to be non-work subjects seated at nursing station.

However what does a parent do with what I believe to be this clear negligence?

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Responses

Response from Sarah Hennings, Operations Manager, Inland Pilbara, WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara 2 years ago
Sarah Hennings
Operations Manager, Inland Pilbara,
WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara

Manages the operations of health services located in Inland Pilbara

Submitted on 13/04/2023 at 9:42 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 9:42 AM

Dear circisnt44,

I am sorry that your baby was unwell and needed medical care in the Emergency Department at Newman Hospital. It is never easy for parents to see their children unwell and this is particularly difficult when they are so young.

The aim of the Emergency Telehealth Service (ETS) is to improve access to emergency medicine services for rural and remote patients. The ETS service is a WACHS Command Centre service staffed by Emergency Medicine specialists, who have many years of experience and are all Fellows of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. The ETS model presents the opportunity to provide quality, accessible emergency medicine to country patients. This supports WACHS clinicians rostered at sites to deliver effective and efficient management and treatment of ED patients improving access and outcomes. It is common practice at Newman Hospital and many of WACHS other smaller sites to utilise ETS.

I am aware of a complaint that escalated to the Executive on Call that is very similar to what you are describing. My understanding of that experience of care is that the young patient was assessed and treated by an emergency medicine specialist utilising the Emergency Telehealth System. Due to patient confidentiality, I am unable to provide further details of this experience on a public platform but can confirm that we have investigated these concerns and discussed the outcome with the parents. If this was not you, I do encourage you to contact me so that we can review your baby’s presentation.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to advise you of Aishwarya’s CARE Call. 1800 431 143

Aishwarya’s CARE Call provides patients and their families a way to receive or call for assistance when they feel that the healthcare team has not fully recognised the patient's changing health condition.

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In terms of overhearing staff talking at the nurses station, I will acknowledge that there are times during a shift when staff do need to take a few moments to connect with, and support, one another which may take the form of discussing non-work related subjects for brief periods of time. I explain this in the hope that you understand that these moments, while seeming unnecessary, can be an important part of managing personal wellbeing for our staff.

Thank you for raising these concerns.

Kind regards

Sas Hennings | Operations Manager Inland Pilbara

WA Country Health Service Pilbara

sarah.hennings@health.wa.gov.au

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