Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

Complaints

Doctor Dawn refused to help me in any way and asked me what I wanted to do about the fact I came to emergency with my nail on my right index finger hanging off. She also made a point to tell me there were actual sick people waiting to be helped. She didn’t disinfect or clean it other than running it under the tap and poking and pressing so hard to the point I almost passed out. When I asked for pain management I was ignored until I asked for a 3rd time and was given Panadol which was expected to help level 10 pain while the doctor did the worst dressing I’ve ever seen with 3 tiny pieces of medical tape, no gauze to separate the injury from the skin which made it stick to the injury and that I had to pull off when I got home because it was so poorly applied and falling off anyway.

I had MRI this week on Wed 12 June 2024. I was about to start the procedure when I realised my fit bit was on because it started to vibrate. I believe staff were negligent in not checking to see if I had a watch on. My device is no longer usable and thankfully I suffered no burns or other harm. I would like to be compensated for my device and I would like to see stricter protocols in place to ensure this happens to no one else.

My father John Matson was admitted to rpa 26.5.24. Incredibly rude nursing staff at emergency an African woman Rose and a male Carlo. They abused my father and I when another nurse took us for a CT scan. Apparently they should have given us permission to have it. I said the nurse called my father and so we followed them for the scan. They did not let up and kept abusing us. Prior to their abuse they had an argument with a paramedic and wee swearing. I have never encountered nurses like it. They should not be working in this hospital or anywhere for that matter. They are unprofessional and incompetent

Hi I am the daughter of Mrs Gao bed 13 Ward 9 west 1. Mum has been admitted to RPA resuscitation unit last Friday 17/5/24 for fast respiratory symptoms and Dr Dan gave mum ceftriaxone as a general coverage for all possibilities such as flu related chest infections, aspiratory pneumonia etc. Then on Monday night 8-10pm mum had another episode of fast respiratory rate and Dr Megan changed her antibiotics to Tazocin which is the only one that seems to be working for mum. When mum was in Balmain hospital in February 2024 mum had a few pneumonias and was treated well with tazocin with 5-7 day courses. After Mum got tazocin this time she became more settled in the next few days and Tazocin seems to be working. However just on Thursday morning one of the team doctor ceased it and told me everything looks “better” (please note her condition was said to be better but not recovered) now like the blood test etc. so she switched it to augmenting through mum’s peg tube. In my view for any antibiotic to work we need at least 4-5 days and it was too early to stop tazocin for mum especially when it’s just kicking into her body and started working. We have had 3 different switches in the space of 6 days and with antibiotics i understand it takes sometime for it to kick in and just as tazocin was starting to work we switched and restart again, by doing the inconsistent and discontinuous treatment of antibiotics I don’t think we gave enough time for them to kicked into mum’s body and worked properly. Hence last night 23/5/24 mum’s breathing rate went up to over 30 with heart rate 112-120, blood pressure 150-160/90, all on the high end. Mum also has AF and heart failure and she’s been on atenolol for the last ten years and only recently in March when mum had the PEG insertion surgery it was ceased. My mum’s cardiologist have told us to continue with atenolol and have advised that we should never cease it. Last night we had Ash as the after hour doctor and I was concerned about mum’s heart rate and high blood pressure and showed him the email from mum’s cardiologist and asked him to chart atenolol, but he completely ignored my concerns and told me he needs to deal with the acute situation, which he did nothing for. He appeared to be very arrogant and dismissive of my concerns, he refused to chart mum her usual medication advised by her cardiologist and shifted that responsibility to the medical team on the next day. He didn’t act what was in his patient best interest and appeared to me to be irresponsible and uncaring. All he did was organised blood tests and x rays again when I asked him to do a CT scan as mum has been suffering with fast breathing rate since admission and she’s been going up and down for the last 6 days and it’s about time they find out exactly what is going on. But he ignored my suggestion and acted on us own with nothing done in the end, he didn’t chase up the x rays, he didn’t update me with the blood tests and ran off completely to go home. Dr Megan on Monday stayed with mum until 10:30-11 to organize everything for her and had everything followed up before she left and she chatted with me twice and filled me in with what happened. She is very caring. Ash is completely the opposite to Dr Megan. I told him mum responds well to tazocin and it’s been stopped too early before it finished it’s course so please switch it back, again he ignored my concerns and suggestions. I am not a doctor nor a nurse but I have been caring for my mum for the last ten years and we have been very involved at the hospital so I can say i know what is best for mum and what works well for her. Yet Dr Ash had his attitude and big ego that he is the doctor and refused to listen to my concerns and what works well for mum, he basically left the situation unresolved. Mum’s breathing rate settled by herself again, after a few hours but it’s always high around the evenings to night on a daily basis so far, hence I’m afraid it’s going to repeat itself again tomorrow and I am very scared. Time is 4:15am as you can see, i am very worried, i have been up sleepless all night, stressed and worried, I have called the Ward twice at 2 and 3, and nurse Dilara is agreeing with me and supporting me as she also thinks tazocin works well for mum and is trying to chase the registrar to have mum switched to tazocin but until now the registrar hasn’t called neither of us. I think had Ash done the right thing when he was there with mum tonight then we wouldn’t be missing out on these antibiotic treatments for 24 hours. Mum is missing out when she could’ve been treated and her condition is very critical she was admitted to resuscitation unit in ED and yet Ash just brushed us off just like that, does this doctor have a heart I wonder ? He was very uncaring and irresponsible . He delayed it and pushed it to the medical team in the morning and when they come it’ll be noonish and by then we could’ve got 3 dosages of tazocin, the time wasted is very crucial and he failed to understand this, I am very disappointed with the fact that nothing was done tonight and I asked for him not to treat my mum again as he will do nothing anyway. At the end of the day, this is a hospital and we don’t want patients to suffer and want to make them as comfortable as possible with all the right treatments; hence the carers and families would less stressed. This was not what Dr Ash demonstrated to me. I have been in the hospital with mum for a very long time and we have gone through a lot especially mum, but we have never had an unkind doctor refusing to listen to our suggestions which is in the best interest of mum, he thinks he knows everything and the care factor was obviously missing. His ego was more important than treating the patient with the right medication. Now mum is physically suffering with repetitive high respiratory rates and the family is mentally suffering with worries and stress unable to sleep at night as a result of his uncaring and negligence. If he is a good doctor like dr Megan he would be humble, a good listener, a good communicator and think and care more for the patient as he hypocritically claimed he was going to do, but had nothing done in the end, he let mum missed out on her necessary antibiotics when she is really frail. He was called to her with clinical review and what does that mean ? Is it not critical enough for him ? obviously not because he had to postpone all the necessary medications to the next day with another team ofcourse. If anything happened to mum tonight will he be bold enough to take the responsibility?

At level 7 pet scan this morning I spoke to the lady who answers the phone she was extremely rude impatient no care in the world shut the phone immediately without saying bye or thank you I called back again asking for her to send results again and she was so obnoxious and rude and again shut the phone in my face. This affected me extremely my mother is suffering we don’t know if she has cancer or not and receptionist at level 7 pet scan was extremely rude not caring at all. My outcome get someone to work who cares about their patients. This happened this morning on 13/05/24

Hi, I had a surgery on 11 April 2024. One of the nurse/anesthesia doctor hurt my hand while he was trying to put kaniula on my hand. I have got a star and a big bruise and seems getting infection after 2 weeks. I want to complaint and request for investigation. Regards, Anna

On the early hours of the morning Friday 5th April my husband was transported to Emergency. He was vomiting blood, faint and having difficulty breathing. Rather than being transferred straight to a bed he was made to sit on the triage chairs, having talked to medical professional I know that my husband should gone straight through in his condition. The triage nurse was trying to put a cannulae in my husbands arm, I could tell he was nervous as he kept going back and forth and was hestiant. Before he could get the line in my husband started vomiting sufficient amounts of blood. The nurse panicked and didn’t know what to do, my husband was choking on his blood I screamed for help but the doctors didn’t approach, I then I had to yell at the nurse to turn him on his side because he was choking. The nurse finally called for help and then pressed the emergency button. I believe inability for the nurse to assist my husband lead to having aspirated lungs, which further endangered his life.

Dear RPA Administration This is in relation to my father, Mr. Sanjay Malik who was brought in to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown on 17.11.2023 with symptoms of low blood pressure and spits with patch of blood in it. He was already suffering from Liver Cirrhosis diagnosed around May 2023. I am writing for myself and on behalf of my family and I wish to point out the various fallacies, carelessness and negligence in treatment and care of my father and the facts are detailed herein-below: 1. When the paramedics arrived, my brother provided them with details about his symptoms and medical condition, as well as information about our father's current medication, including the administration of Midodrine 2.5mg to elevate his blood pressure. Subsequently, the paramedics instructed my brother to accompany them to the ambulance, and he assisted our father in descending two flights of stairs and traversing a distance of approximately 50-75 feet. Upon arriving at the emergency department, the paramedics had already informed us that they had administered a mild dosage of medication to raise our father's blood pressure during transport in the ambulance. 2. Additionally, my father was mobile and walked to the restroom in the emergency department. While in the emergency room, samples of his blood and urine were collected for testing. Later, he was transferred to the resuscitation room, using a toilet chair due to the unavailability of a wheelchair at the hospital. In the resuscitation room, he experienced significant pain while a cannula was being inserted, and both my mother and brother observed substantial bleeding from the site where the cannula was being inserted into his hand. Furthermore, he received another dose of medication to raise his blood pressure, without allowing adequate time for the previous doses to take effect. My brother was informed that this was a high dose intended to rapidly elevate his blood pressure. Several doctors attended to my father, and he requested permission to use the restroom. It is noteworthy that up to this point, there were no signs of blood either from his rectum or through his mouth. This was confirmed when the head of the ICU examined his stool to check for melena or blood, and indicated that there were no indications of melena. However, my mother had previously cautioned the nurses and doctors that during his hospitalization in India, he had spat blood only when his blood pressure became too high, causing the rings or bends in his esophagus to open due to the pressure. Moreover, there was no toilet chair available at the hospital at that time, so my father was astonishingly provided with a small bowl for his bowel movement, placed on a chair previously occupied by my brother. My father was instructed to lean backward onto the bowl while passing his stool. It is important to note that a patient with significantly low blood pressure should not be required to stand for an extended period. When my father partially sat down, it was then that my brother observed fresh, raw blood during the bowel movement process. Immediately, my brother alerted the nurse nearby and asked to call for doctor. My father was then asked to lie down on the bed. After, few minutes he started puking and it was again fresh blood in his vomit. Until this time my father’s was talking like a normal person would in such circumstance with no significant signs of confusion. 3. The liver specialists notified us that our father would need to undergo an endoscopy, a procedure he had previously undergone three times since late May, each time without any anaesthesia or sedation and with successful outcomes. Subsequently, my father underwent the procedure, but a few hours later, my brother received a call from the doctor, who informed him that the procedure was unsuccessful due to bleeding and the doctor mistakenly dislodged an existing ring/ band which fell inside my father. This led to a lot of bleeding and my brother was advised that another session of endoscopy would be necessary, and currently, my father is in Green ICU and has been fitted with a chest balloon and is being supported by life support machinery, including a ventilator. It is quite noteworthy that subsequent to a simple procedure like endoscopy a patient who was walking a few hours earlier was now on life support. This clearly demonstrates negligence and/or lack of experienced staff at the RPA hospital. 4. We were informed that our father is required to undergo another session of endoscopy at the earliest however the same got postponed continuously due to unavailability of doctors and surgery room. To put it in context, my father had undergone his first endoscopy during evening on 17th November and it was not until early morning on the 20th November that he was taken for his second endoscopy. That around 3 AM on 20th November, we received a call from the doctor who performed the endoscopy that he was quite satisfied with our father’s bleeding condition and that there was bleeding only from the point where the ring/band fell off and that he has now successfully placed another ring/ band on that point. 5. Furthermore, while in the ICU, we were informed of our father's significantly low sodium levels, for which he would be treated. Additionally, our father was continuously receiving sedation, although the doctors seemed to expect him to miraculously awaken and follow their commands in the morning. It wasn't until the sixth day of his ICU admission that the ventilator and chest balloon were removed. However, it's important to note that our father's serum bilirubin levels were alarmingly high, and the doctors suggested that the only way to reduce them was through bowel movements. It's crucial to emphasize that a patient who has been sedated for over six days would find it challenging to have bowel movements without medical intervention. This delay resulted in his body being unable to expel bilirubin, allowing it to accumulate and affect his brain. The entire process of ventilator use and sedation appeared to prioritize the doctors' protection rather than the patient's health and well-being. 6. Moreover, my father remained bedridden and incapable of movement. During this time, various doctors, including the speech therapist, conducted what they termed a "speech test." This test involved taking a sip of water. It was conducted in the morning when our father was still asleep. The doctors would wake him abruptly and immediately ask him to drink water. It's evident that a person, especially a critically ill patient who had been intubated for over six days (with a ventilator and chest balloon), would struggle to drink water upon waking and might cough it out. This indeed occurred, and the doctor simply mentioned that they would return the following day as they were unavailable. It's surprising that one of the largest hospitals in Australia lacks sufficient staff to carry out such a straightforward task as speech testing. During this whole time our father was not talking normally and seemed to have confusion. Moreover, since he had failed the speech test, a feeding tube was inserted through his nose through to his stomach. 7. Furthermore, during our time in the ICU, we were informed about our father's astonishingly high AFP levels, which necessitated an MRI in addition to the already completed CT scan. However, it took approximately ten days from the moment my family decided to proceed with the MRI until the scan was actually conducted. It appeared as though they had resigned to letting him perish rather than making efforts to save him. After spending approximately ten days in the ICU, our father was transferred to a ward, specifically Ward; 9 West 2- room 13. 8. That during this time since the speech doctor was not satisfied with his speech test results, they did not allow any food or water to be given to him through his mouth. That it is worthwhile to mention that it had been over 10 days since he drank water and it was obvious that he was dehydrating. Nevertheless, due to his state of confusion he pulled out the feeding tube running through his nose. In the following morning we were told that he will have to take be administered with another feeding tube and we allowed the doctor to insert it after discussion. This discussion mainly pertained that doctor wanted our consent since the patient was resisting and was in state of confusion. It was on 29th November that Dr Siricha had inserted a WRONG FEEDING TUBE inside our father who was already resisting the insertion of same as it was painful and highly uncomfortable to him. That the nurse Steve had informed us, later in the day that a wrong feeding tube has been inserted and it is highly “irresponsible of the doctor”. That as soon as our mother informed us of the same, I rushed to the hospital and had a word with doctors and Dr Siricha was continuously apologising. That due to her mistake and gross negligence my father had to go through the trauma, pain and discomfort of getting the wrong pipe removed which was followed by another pipe being inserted. It must be worthwhile to note that the pipe which was wrongfully and negligently inserted had a large mouth as compared to the feeding tube. It is highly likely that the rings/ bands in his oesophagus had been disturbed or other areas had been affected in his throat due to such pipe negligent insertion and removal. 9. However, our father's daily blood tests revealed that his sodium levels had risen significantly, potentially contributing to his confusion. It's important to note that if his blood samples were being taken daily, why did the hospital allow his sodium levels to become elevated, and more importantly, why was he still being administered sodium when it was already too high? The doctors had informed us that excessively high sodium levels could result in permanent brain damage or even coma. Despite our objections and concerns, sodium was still being administered through IV drips and also after every injection of other medications or substances. Nevertheless, it also must be added that despite my father being anaemic, a lot of bloods were being taken from him. Additionally, my father continuously expressed a desire to stand due to back pain from lying in bed for over 12 consecutive days. However, the doctors refused his request and it was only with support and encouragement of nurse Steve one day that he aided my father in getting up after around 17 days on bed. 10. Additionally, on one particular night, my father experienced intense pain, prompting my brother to summon the nurse to request a doctor's assistance. However, it took over two hours for the doctor to arrive. Upon her arrival, she mentioned that the attending doctors were unavailable and could only offer Panadol. Moreover, it required multiple requests to the nurse to call the doctor, as my father was persistently requesting medication. The nurse informed my brother that he would not be assigned any shifts involving caring for my father because he couldn't handle the pressure. While it's important to respect the mental health of every individual, especially during challenging times, it's concerning and inappropriate for someone entrusted with the care of our loved ones to behave in such a manner. Certain professions inherently involve stress, but if a nurse feels overwhelmed simply by receiving multiple requests to call for a doctor, it indicates a significant deficiency in their work efficiency. 11. Furthermore, it's crucial to highlight that throughout his hospitalization, our father required diapers, which were changed multiple times daily. Additionally, following the second insertion of a camera into his throat to assess his speech organs, the doctors informed us of significant mucosal buildup around his windpipe opening. Consequently, he needed nebulization therapy to help expel the mucosa through coughing. One observation we made during this time was that nurses refrained from tilting our father's head downward during coughing episodes, as it could exacerbate coughing or cause bleeding. Similarly, they were cautious not to tilt his head downward while changing his diaper, and they even recommended keeping his head slightly elevated to prevent coughing or bleeding. We observed this as one of the nurses mentioned that since he is coughing and spitting blood thus, it is dangerous for his head to tilted downwards as it might lead to him puking out everything in his throat or allowing blood to make its way through due to gravitational pull. 12. However, our father began experiencing significant swelling in his stomach and abdomen area due to water retention. On one occasion, a new doctor arrived and suggested reducing the medication that promotes the free flow of urine and helps eliminate excess water from the body. It's important to note that this doctor made changes to the medication regimen despite the prescriptions provided by the liver specialists treating our father. Despite our objections, she insisted that since he was becoming dehydrated, he should not receive such medication. We pointed out that it had been over 15 days since he last drank water, and even now he was not being given enough water. Additionally, we highlighted that he had previously undergone two sessions of dialysis due to his inability to urinate, resulting in similar swelling. 13. Furthermore, our father began coughing frequently, and we noticed blood in his cough. We informed the nurses, who advised against tilting his head downwards. This situation persisted for over three days until his passing. 14. The most distressing incident occurred on the morning of December 8th. Nurse Tracey arrived to change my father's diapers as part of the morning routine. To provide context, my father's mobility was limited due to excessive water retention in his stomach, which hindered his ability to move quickly. While Nurse Tracey was changing his diapers, she laid my father flat on the bed and then tilted the bed downwards from the side of his head, causing the flow of his body to move towards his head. This action contradicted the advice given by doctors and other nurses, who had cautioned against such tilting when changing his diapers. As a result of this tilt, blood from his stomach and/or esophagus rushed into his mouth and nasal cavity, causing his face to turn red, his mouth to fill with blood, and his eyes to bulge out. Nurse Tracey then tilted him upwards and summoned the doctors. This incident resulted in my father experiencing a cardiac arrest due to the gross negligence of Nurse Tracey. It's important to note that prior to being admitted to RPAH, my father had never experienced a cardiac arrest or any issues with his heart. 15. Following that, our father received CPR, and his pulse was restored. Nevertheless, the doctors informed us that he was in his final moments and would pass away imminently. We were stunned by this prognosis and pleaded with them to take action, but they already gave up, stating that nothing further could be done, and allowed our father to bleed to death. They actually let him bleed to death since until his demise about 10-11 hours later, he was continuously bleeding through his mouth and nose. Despite our protests for intervention, they declined to perform any additional procedures or take further action. I would like to emphasize that these details not only suggest a lack of adequate service and care but also indicate improper handling and gross negligence in the treatment of my father. I am requesting a thorough investigation into this matter and urge that justice be served for our beloved father. We sincerely hope that decisive action will be taken against those responsible for any wrongdoing or negligence, particularly Doctor Siricha and Nurse Tracey. Furthermore, we implore the hospital to prioritize patient care above all else and ensure that doctors and nurses adhere to this principle. We are writing this without prejudice to any of our rights, interests, claim, power or authority concerning or over the incident. We reserve our right to lodge criminal complaint or initiate proceedings for murder by negligence or manslaughter or any other provision or law applicable otherwise. We also reserve our right to initiate any civil action for liabilities or claim or otherwise any other action available under law. Additionally, we also reserve our powers and rights to spread awareness about our father’s matter and share our experiences with RPAH with others.

I am 32 days postpartum and I delivered in RPA , my birth was vaginal , vacuum and forceps assisted with the episiotomy. I got bladder and bowel incontinence Dr Laura did my delivery and I want to know why my anal tone was not checked for bowel incontinence, hospital and dr said I got 2nd degree tear but due to bowel incontinence I believe it’s a 3rd degree tear that could have been avoided

I have a serious complaint in regard to the RPA In late March, 2021, as a result of heavy rainfall in the early morning, water broke though the roof and flood ed the kitchen floor. When I came out in the morning, I didn't se the water and slipped. I fell backwards, My head hit the floor first with a loud bang. I immediately had a problem with balance. I could not walk properly, but like a drunken person. I reported this to my G.P. Eventually, I was referred to the neurology department at RPA.The specialist there referred me to the neurophysiology section. There, an expert started me on a series of lessons deigned to correct the problem. However, after two sessions, the section was closed down temporarily because of COVID. Since then, for more than two years, my G.P. has attempted to have me return to the neurophysiology section to continue my treatment. There has been no response. I continue to need a walking stick. In desperation, my G.P. referred me to the RPA ageing section in the hope someone there would refer me to the neurophysiology section. I'm sure my doctor will confirm that I suffer no effects of ageing. In fact, since the first weak in December, I've reaserched and written 70,000 words of my sixth book. As well, I walk significant distance with he walking stick. I have decoded to cancel any appointment with the ageing section and appeal to you t helpmeet continue my treatment at the neurophysiology section soonest. Paul Raffaele 02-95646376