"Cardiology Department"

From recent personal experience if I find myself in Bankstown Hospital's 3J cardiac ward then I will immediately request a transfer another hospital. From the start, I have to say the Nursing Staff on 3 J ward were very good. The same could not be said about the Cardiology Team attached to the Ward.

This Team of Doctors communication skills vary from confused, random and non-existent. Arrangements were made by them to have a pacemaker fitted to me on 3 occasions over a period of 2 days and each of them cancelled without any acceptable reason given. They never appeared when they claimed they would requiring me to request the Ward Sister to request they attend the Ward and speak to me on numerous occasions. The result was either nil or a junior member of the team would appear 4 to 5 hours after the request with vague and differing advice on what was happening. During this period I must add, I was placed on a Nil By Mouth restriction so did not eat for nearly three days.

It is noted that in the Hospital literature under heading "Patient Rights" it makes quite a deal about communication. This appears not to apply to the Cardiology Team.

Since my discharge from this Hospital I have attended my own Cardiologist Specialist who gave me quite reasonable reasons for my erratic heart beat and made it very clear to me that under no circumstances did I need a pacemaker in my current condition.

From my experience at Bankstown Hospital, I can only recommend that if I have a cardiac episode, I will avoid Bankstown Hospital at all cost and if an ambulance takes me there, I will request an immediate transfer to another hospital. This will save me the considerable stress that was inflicted on me by what I felt was a confused and non-communicative team of cardiologists that are attached to Bankstown Hospital