The father of a girl with disability has voiced his concerns that an overstretched Wollongong Hospital emergency department could see vulnerable patients fall through the cracks, after a recent experience.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Illawarra resident Nathan (who asked not to use his last name due to privacy concerns) took his 17-year-old daughter Aurora to the emergency department on Wednesday night after she suffered a cat scratch to the eye area, fearing it had gone deep enough to injure her eyeball.
Aurora - who has a rare genetic disorder and uses a wheelchair - is non-verbal, so she could not tell her parents what she was experiencing.
Nathan said they saw a triage nurse about 15 minutes after they arrived at the hospital, who told them that Aurora needed to have her eye checked for damage.
But Nathan said it was another six-and-a-half hours before Aurora was seen and in that time they had no communication, including check-ups on how she was faring, nor were given possible care alternatives to seek.
In that time, Aurora also suffered three seizures and Nathan said a run of seizures usually signalled a hospital admission.
Wollongong Hospital general manager Nicole Sheppard said all patients were triaged to ensure those who needed most urgent care were seen first.
"During busy times, those with less urgent conditions will experience longer wait times when there are large numbers of seriously unwell patients being prioritised for emergency care," Ms Sheppard said.
"Our staff work extremely hard to triage and treat patients as quickly and safely possible; this includes treatment, monitoring and communication with patients in the waiting area."
Nathan said the issue was not how long he had waited, but what it meant for people like Aurora who were vulnerable and needed additional attention.
"She's vulnerable, she's non-verbal, she can't advocate for herself," he said.
The family are very familiar with the hospital, with Aurora having been admitted already this year four times.
But Nathan said waiting times in the ED had grown longer over the years.
He said there were people at the hospital who did not need to be there, but more people were turning to the ED with the lack of bulk-billing GPs.
Nathan also noted that the population was increasing and the hospital likewise needed to grow.
He acknowledged that staff were "under the pump", and stressed they would not have gone to the ED themselves had they not had concerns for Aurora's eye.
"We apologise to those who have needed to wait longer than usual in the ED and continue to remind the community to support us by saving emergency departments and ambulances for saving lives," Ms Sheppard said.
"If an illness or injury is not serious or life-threatening, we encourage people to call Healthdirect Australia on 1800 022 222, for a 24-hour telephone health advice."
The most recent Bureau of Health Information data shows wait times at the Wollongong ED are among the longest in NSW.
Our news app has had a makeover, making it faster and giving you access to even more great content. Download The Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store and Google Play.
Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
