I'd have to say this seems to be expanding at a rate of knots. The Infectious Diseases dept head is extremely well known in the HIV medical community. What's more, both our psychologists have become involved, along with the social worker. What's more, the Albion St Centre was set up in the '80's by the state gov of the day as an early response to the HIV epidemic. What's more this hospital is where that response came from with the Albion St Centre remaining to this day as part of this hospitals campus. In short both our psychologists there have the same power to spit the dummy about this as my Infectious Diseases doctor. What's more this is the biggest hospital in the eastern suburbs of Sydney and smack centre of it; Sydney's eastern suburbs was the epicenter of the HIV epidemic, albeit more so in Darlinghurst. OK the locals here now know which hospital it is.....
Here is David's complaint from that night in full:
This letter concerns the treatment my partner Peter received last night in the_____________ Emergency dept.
I am a nurse of nearly 30 years. He'd slipped over in the bathroom hitting his head severely on the toilet, splitting his face open with a 2cm gash and deep. I rang an ambulance and we both arrived soon after at Emergency to get his wound treated. Being as it was a hard hit to the head, I was also concerned about possible brain injury as well as the wound. He is HIV+.
The ambulance officer handed Peter over to the Emergency staff, that being ____. She took his blood pressure, SATS, and BP. The wound was bleeding which I'd treated at home myself, covering it with a tegaderm island. At no time (apart from the ambulance) were no neuro OBS done. I sat with Peter in the chairs opposite triage for about half an hour, at which time he was sent to the waiting room outside Emergency.
After sitting there for an hour with with him being seen by nobody, I asked the male nurse behind the counter (Irish accent) what was happening. He seemed unbothered as he was too busing texting on his mobile phone. I explained to him that it was a serious head injury and that neuro OBS should be getting done every 15 minutes for the first hour, half hourly second hour, and hourly last two. At this time he dismissed me.
I got agitated. Security was called (who ended up being an acquaintance of mine) said to them "He's OK, he's a nurse". To calm down I went and smoked outside after being asked to do so by the VMO. The VMO (who was leaving the hospital) asked it I was OK. I told her that I wasn't impressed with Peter's treatment, explained to her that Peter had been there on Sat night previously, that they'd placed him in ER bed 1 next to the front door, after he'd tried cutting his wrists. Peter left. The staff knew not of where he was. I'd gone home at 4am, at which time there were only 3 patients in Emergency. The psych registrar rang me at 6:30am to tell me Peter had left without telling them and of their concern. As there were plenty of beds empty I asked the VMO why he was placed next to the front door? Her reply was "I thought there was more to it". At this time the VMO replied "You don't need to apologise" as I'd done so twice.
On walking back into the hospital I heard the nurse (red hair in bun, glasses) that was working with _____ in reception say "He's bleeding. I'm not going near him". I walked back into the waiting room to find Peter was missing. Asked the security guard where he was, who replied he's gone to the toilet. Going to check on him I found him at the counter as he was frustrated and angry after 3 hours waiting, still bleeding, thinking he'd perhaps broken his eye socket, asking the nurses what was going on; that he'd been there for all that time with such an injury and just just wanted to at least lie down in a bed. I joined him at the counter defending him.
By this time both of us were extremely agitated. Red hair nurse, with ______ standing behind her, said to me "He's been assessed by two doctors" At this time I replied "That is a lie as I've been with Peter the whole time and no doctor has assessed him and that all documents in a hospital (ie nursing notes) are legal documents."
Peter is no slouch, used to standing up for himself, and had prompted the enquiry at the desk on his own. Quite a thing for someone with an injury like that, but it was out of complete frustration. Even his plea for simply a bed to lie on was met with hostility by the (red head) nurse, saying that he had to go sort that our with the nurse in the waiting room - who BTW was still texting on his mobile. Peter reluctantly went back to the waiting room, still bleeding, still worried that his eye socket was broken, and at his wits end. He layed down on the waiting room lounges instead of a bed. He's had enough and just wanted to go home. We were walking out, he thought to home but I was planning St Vincents.
The male nurse texting waiting room guy came from Emergency and intercepted us just before we got near the door, saying there was a bed available in Emergency now. We went to it. The Emergency nurse was the first one to do neuro OBS since the ambulance, nearly 4 hours earlier. The doctor assessed Peter saying he needed three stitches, very professional, apologetic about the delay, and friendly. She treated his injury, and released Peter into my care as a nurse (discharge referral attached).
In summary:
I felt that Peter was treated this way as he's had a mental health history and is HIV+ and well known to Emergency. It was a serious injury and should have been treated so. Instead, he ended up abandoned to the waiting room whilst a nurse (red head with _____) said she'd not go near him as he was infectious. In my opinion is a clear case of HIV discrimination.
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