HOSPITAL STAFF TOLD TO SPEAK KINDLY TO MISCARRIAGE SUFFERERS

Please find that I had originally forwarded the following to the Daily Telegraph (07/09/2008) but I have received no response. It was not until the recent incident at Maitland Hospital documented in the Newcastle Herald (10/01/2009) that I am now again expressing my concern at the appalling lack of ‘duty of care’ shown at both the John Hunter Hospital and also Maitland Hospital.

I David JOHNSON would like to bring to your attention the neglect of care my wife and I received at both John Hunter Hospital and also Maitland Hospital on successive days while my wife was showing the symptoms of a miscarriage.
About 6.30pm on Friday the 3rd of September 2008, I received a call from my wife who was six (6) weeks pregnant. My wife stated to me that she had been ‘bleeding’, and that it had been constant for a few hours. Rebecca had previously suffered a miscarriage last year, and she was experiencing the same symptoms on this day. Earlier that day, we both attended our local GP who stated that if any of these types of incidents occur, we are to attend the Emergency unit of the hospital who would assist us immediately. I informed my wife Rebecca to go to the hospital as soon as possible. At the time, I was working in Sydney, and it would be about two (2) hours travel for me to assist Rebecca. Rebecca then called the GP access line and spoke to them about her symptoms.

Rebecca said, ‘I’m bleeding and I’m pregnant. I have clots and I think I might be having a miscarriage’. Rebecca explained to the GP access that she had previously had a miscarriage in May, 2007. On this occasion Rebecca was six (6) weeks pregnant, and she was aware of the symptoms as she had been suffering the same again.

The nurse said, ‘Get to the nearest emergency unit at the hospital as soon as you can. Do not eat or drink anything’.
I was unable to drive her to the hospital at the time as I was engaged in work at Sydney. I immediately left work and met her at the John Hunter Hospital at 930pm. My brother drove Rebecca to the Hospital emergency unit and they arrived at 730pm.

Upon arrival at the hospital Rebecca spoke with the Triage nurse and informed her of her delicate condition. This did not appear to have any effect on her moving through to see a Doctor and she was asked to wait in the waiting room. Upon my arrival at 930pm, I saw Rebecca and my brother who were both seated. I spoke to Rebecca who stated she had been waiting for two (2) hours, and she had not yet seen a Doctor, nurse or other practitioner at this time.

I then walked over to the Triage nurse. Rebecca and I stated that she was possibly having a miscarriage. The reply I received was that,’ there were about eight (8) people ahead of her and she will be seen to as soon as possible’. Rebecca and I then returned to our seat and began waiting again.

Over the next two (2) hours we saw about eight (8) to ten (10) people called from the seated waiting area, and were then taken in behind the main doors. I assume they were getting attention from the Doctors or nurses as they would then return to the waiting area and walk past us and leave the hospital. Rebecca was still in pain and in a state of fear and anxiety. Some of these people arrived after us and it seemed to my wife and I that their ailments were relatively minor. One person complained of food or blood poisoning, others were walking through with sprained wrists or ankles.

Again we waited and it was about midnight (12pm) that Rebecca and I again approached the Triage nurse. I again explained what our problem was and still it was explained that there were now only six (6) people in front of us. At this time, it had been five (5) hours that Rebecca had been sitting there and we believed she was having a miscarriage. Rebecca had not eaten or consumed any fluids since lunchtime, which was now twelve (12) hours and this was also explained to the Triage nurse, to which our reply was, ‘You can have a cup of ice if you like’.
Shortly after this time, a nurse walked past.

She said, ‘Are you still here? Have you seen a Doctor yet?’
Rebecca said, ‘No, I haven’t eaten either since lunch’.
The nurse said, ‘I’ll come back through in a minute and take some blood from you’.

This did not eventuate. We waited in the same seat and still there was no return of any nurse to take blood or to check up on Rebecca’s condition.
Rebecca and I were now beginning to assume that a miscarriage was of a low priority to the hospital, and we believed that it appeared if we were having a miscarriage it must be the policy of the hospital to let ‘nature take its course’. We had been sitting in the waiting room for the past six (6) hours, and we had received no action or attention. Rebecca stated to me several times that she was ‘starving’, and that she was feeling dehydrated. If she had not been having a miscarriage, the fact that she was had not eaten for the past twelve (12) hours would have certainly assisted in bringing this on. This would not be a healthy option for the baby in any case. Rebecca constantly said that she had ‘had enough’ of sitting around and she wanted to go home. Rebecca was obviously very distressed about the possibility of losing our baby, and she just wanted confirmation either way. At 210am on Saturday the 4th of October 2008, we were still in the same seat of the waiting room and we had not been seen to by any medical staff. We had not been checked on, and we had not been further spoken to about bloods being taken from Rebecca. Rebecca was becoming distressed and stated to me that she wanted to go home.

We both then approached the Triage nurse and explained again that we believed Rebecca was having a miscarriage.
I said, ‘How much longer do you think it is going to be? We have been waiting for eight hours’.
She said, ‘I can’t tell you how long it’s going to be we are sending a Senior Doctor down to help clean up a few problems we are having here’.
I said, ‘So, do you think we may be here until eight this morning?
She said, ‘I can’t say – but you may be’.

The Triage nurse could not give us a time at which we were going to able to see a Doctor, and as such we informed the nurse we were going to go home. Rebecca had been sitting in the same seat for the past eight (8) hours without eating or drinking. She was pregnant and showing the signs of a miscarriage, but still no medical assistance was given. We were informed to attend the emergency unit as soon as these symptoms occurred, and still no assistance was given. The simple task of taking blood to check hormone levels was even neglected. It appeared that we just to wait and let nature take it course. Rebecca and I left the emergency unit and returned home, still in no better position than that of eight hours previously – even after sitting in a hospital emergency under the watchful eyes of so called ‘medical professionals’.

The next morning, we woke early and decided to try and get some assistance at a separate Hospital. We were in desperate need of help. We then drove to Maitland Hospital. We arrived there at about 945am.

Upon arrival we spoke to the Triage nurse who had us in and was taking blood within the first ten (10) minutes of our arrival there. We explained our dire situation and she said that, ‘It may not be part of their procedure to take blood’.
After the nurse had taken the blood at 1000am, we were then informed to wait to be called from the waiting room. Again we experienced the inadequacies of the NSW Health system. I was seated next to a male who stated he had ‘welding flash’. He arrived about two (2) hours after us, and was seen to prior to us. Also, there was a male who had a cut on his finger from a slicer in the kitchen. He also arrived after us and was seen to prior as well. I believe hospital records will indicate this.

We again waited until about 200pm. It had now been a further five (5) hours. It was at this time we again approached the Triage nurse.

I said, ‘We had blood taken at 10am this morning and we are waiting for the results. Can you let us know how we are going?
The nurse then went and checked and arrived back to us shortly afterward.
She said, ‘Everything looks alright, but we haven’t received your hormone levels back yet’.
I said, ‘So what does that mean? Do we have to wait again? We have been waiting for information since seven thirty last night’.
She said, ‘Wait here I will get a room for you’.

Shortly afterward the nurse came through the emergency doors and escorted us to another room where we again waited for another half hour or so. After this time, a female Doctor with a British accent entered the room.

She said, ‘I’m Doctor RAMSDALE. What are you doing here?’
I said, ‘We are waiting for blood test results’.
She said, ‘Ok, but what are you here for?’
I said, ‘My wife has been bleeding and we think she might be having a miscarriage’.
She then said, ‘Wait here. I’ll find out about your blood test results’.
Shortly afterward another nurse came into the room.
She said, ‘Hello, what has happened?’
I then again explained what had happened/happening. The situation was frustrating me to the point where I was getting quite angry.
She said, ‘I will go and find out about your blood test results’.
She was gone for about ten (10) to twenty (20) minutes. In this time, Doctor RAMSDALE did not return.

The nurse returned and said, ‘I’m sorry but we have lost your blood samples. They were left in the other nurses pigeon hole and we don’t know where they are now. We have tried to contact the nurse who took your blood, but she’s not answering her phone. We needed a Doctors signature to send them off, and they haven’t been sent yet. We don’t know where they are. I’m sorry. We will have to take some more blood’.

A second set of blood samples were then taken from Rebecca, which I assume were then handled correctly. Shortly afterward, the nurse returned and she had arranged for scans to be conducted. We again attempted on numerous occasions to obtain information on whether these results came back ok, but again we were told that it would take some time to get the samples back. We were not to get these results for a further three (3) days. Scans were then conducted in the Hospital, and the Sonographer stated that ‘everything appeared to look fine’.

It had now been more than thirty (30) hours since our threatened miscarriage, and finally we had received confirmation that everything appeared to be fine. Despite this reassurance, I still questioned the ability of the medical staff to pass judgement and after a few days we returned to our personal Doctor for a check up. During this time and over a period of about three (3) days, we were still unable to obtain our results from the blood test despite our attempts. On one occasion staff over the phone stated that, ‘we cannot give you this information over the phone it is personal. You will have to come in and speak with a Doctor’. Rebecca again became very angry and distressed over this matter.

The Hospital later relented and gave us the all clear that the blood hormone levels were still increasing (indicating the continued growth of our baby).
About one (1) week later, Rebecca received a call from the Hospital again, stating that her blood results were ok. They then continued to ask whether everything was alright with our baby. This seemed highly peculiar to me, as this was over a week since our visit to the hospital and they had showed or offered no such concern while we were there.

I am not aware of the Health systems policies and procedure regarding this but I should think that internal bleeding from a miscarriage should carry a sense of urgency. As farfetched as this episode reads, I urge you to check your records regarding our times spent at both Hospitals, and also research the attention we received during this time. I have heard stories about how our health system was likened to that of a third world country and I thought these remarks were a bit extreme, after this encounter however I tend to agree.

I thought that after the recent incidents involving mother’s miscarriaging in the hospital toilets (whilst waiting for medical assistance) this incident would have been cause for concern. I have a great concern for others attending emergency units with similar conditions.

In considering my wife’s appalling experience and others that have come to light. It appears that there is a widespread and systemic failure of the NSW hospital organisation. Clearly this organisation requires a cultural change at both grassroots and management level. The complete disregard for our distress at this critical time leaves my wife and I with serious reservations about relying on our ‘medical professionals’ should we require any further assistance. We felt the need to come forward to support Mrs Whiteside and hope that speaking out will save another family from suffering the same abysmal care and compassion that my wife and Mrs Whiteside.

I know this isn’t as traumatic or serious as these other cases, but this goes to show that if they cant even get the simple thinks right they were never going to help these poor women.

I attended Maitland Emergency Department last week with my wife and seven month old baby boy was had been vomiting profusely and wasn’t taking in any fluids. After waiting in the waiting area for two hours we were sent up stairs to the after hours GP service. Here we were seen by a Doctor who while examining our son was vomited all over. Her next comment was “That was the most vomit I have ever seen come out of child, especially one who hasn’t been eating at all”. You should never have been sent up here ill send you straight back to emergency they will put you straight into a room you may have to stay the night while he is on a drip so we can get some fluids into to him, I am just not happy with his condition”. The nurse then phones down to the Emergency Department and told them exactly that, We both heard this conversation.

We all then went straight down to the Emergency Department where we told a nurse what had happened to which she told as to have a seat in the waiting room. Now at this time we have roughly been at the hospital three and half hours with my son not having any fluids and him getting whiter and more dehydrated by the minute.

After another hour went by we asked a nurse what was happening as we were told he was severe and needed fluids to which we were told, “ we will get to you when we can”, we said we understand that but he is seven moths old, the nurse then said “ other people have been waiting longer then you”

Now all the people who were in the waiting room when we first attended had now gone and all the people currently there had just arrived.

All the nurses at Maitland Hospital including hat nurse at no time showed any concern or empathy for the well being of our son, I understand that emergency departments are busy and certain people take priority.

BUT can a seven moth old baby look after him self, for at this time four and a half hours that right 4 ½ hours had past. And at no time did any nurse or doctor even check him or atleast say we are sorry for the wait.

We then walked out of the Hospital and drove straight to a near by hospital were we were seen immediately.

I am absolutely disgusted in Maitland Hospital. I am a Police Officer in the same town and never before have I seen people treated so poorly.