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"Unprofessional and rude"

About: Kimberley Country Health Service

(as the patient),

I'm currently pregnant and had an anatomy scan recently. My partner and I were both very much looking to this ultrasound appointment. The experience was not what we had hoped. 

Unfortunately I found the sonographer whom performed the ultrasound was rude and unprofessional.  My partner kindly advised prior to the ultrasound that we were not wanting to know ours babies gender. I recall the response we recieved was, well it's not medically necessary to determine the gender anyway, unless there is a sex linked genetic abnormality, I felt the tone used was horrible.

From the moment the ultrasound probe touched my abdomen I recall they said (with a sigh), your baby is in a sh*t" position. There were continual sighs and I recall "that will have to do" comments made as they proceeded to look at each area of our baby to check for normal development. The ultrasounding was seemingly erratic. 

About 5 minutes into the ultrasound I almost made the decision to politely leave. I was angry, upset and hating what was supposed to be a pleasant and exciting time. My partner was sitting next to me also angry, but biting their tongue (their words following), because they did not want to cause a scene.

There were multiple comments throughout the ultrasound that I felt were unnecessary and it was blatantly obvious to me that the sonographer, simply did not care. ( we are still awaiting an USS report, to determine whether the images taken were adequate enough to see normal anataomical development).

We both left the ultrasound angry and disappointed. However I felt lucky to have my partner there to witness, and support me through what was a very unpleasant  experienced. 

Having worked in the same hospital for years clinically, I know the majority of our population are vulnerble and I'm unsure as to how they would have coped in such a situation. Hence I have brought my experience to your attention, in the hopes that this clinican is addressed, and others are prevented from having a similar experience. 

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Responses

Response from John Robson, Senior Medical Officer, Broome Hospital, WACHS last week
John Robson
Senior Medical Officer, Broome Hospital,
WACHS
Submitted on 7/01/2025 at 7:20 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 8/01/2025 at 9:49 AM


Dear sierraeh54,

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns regarding your recent experience. We deeply regret that your ultrasound appointment did not meet the high standards of care and professionalism that we aim to provide for our patients.

We understand how important this experience is for you and your partner, especially during such an exciting time in your pregnancy. It is concerning to hear that you felt the sonographer's conduct was rude, unprofessional, and that the atmosphere was not supportive or respectful. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us identify areas for improvement, and we sincerely apologize for any distress caused.

We take such matters seriously, and we will ensure that your complaint is thoroughly reviewed and addressed. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we will be speaking with the staff member involved and offering additional support or training where necessary. It is our aim to ensure that every patient receives the highest level of care, respect, and professionalism, especially when they are in a vulnerable or sensitive situation.

We understand your frustration and disappointment, and we are grateful for the opportunity to address this matter. If you would like to discuss your experience further or have any additional concerns, please do not hesitate to contact John Robson (Acting Regional Medical Director) via email Kimberley.RMD@health.wa.gov.au.

We are committed to ensuring that your concerns are fully addressed.

Once again, we sincerely apologize for your experience and thank you for bringing this to our attention. Your feedback will help us improve the care we provide to all our patients.

Kind regards,

(Dr) John Robson | Senior Medical Officer

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