The West Australian Opposition has called for a parliamentary inquiry after claims of another bungle with patient care at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth.
The 44-year-old patient was in the hospital being treated for chronic pain but claims he suffered anaphylactic shock after he was given a meal containing mushrooms – a food he claims he told staff he could not eat because of a severe allergy.
The patient, who wants to be referred to as Dean, said the situation was then compounded because there was no crash cart, a trolley used in hospitals which contains life-saving equipment, on the ward for staff to treat the reaction.
He claims he was then forced to use his own EpiPen, which he had been carrying with him, to avert what he called a life-threatening situation.
“The senior doctor was [concerned], he was like ‘Why isn’t it here? We need adrenaline especially and the crash cart on the ward,'” Dean said.
“There was a raft of so many issues even the doctors and nurses didn’t know what was going on.
“The nurses are doing a wonderful job but they’re overworked.”
‘Beggars belief’ over lack of basic equipment, Opposition says
Opposition health spokesman Roger Cook said it was unbelievable that Dean was forced to use his own EpiPen because there was no crash cart, adrenaline or EpiPen in the ward.
“I think it beggars belief that we’ve opened this hospital over 12 months too late, yet they don’t have basic equipment in that hospital to treat patients like Dean,” Mr Cook said.
“If it wasn’t for the fact that Dean actually had his own EpiPen on him and the doctor had the quick thinking to say ‘Dean have you got something that we can administer to you to resolve this issue?’, Dean may not be with us to tell his story today.
“I can’t explain why basic medical equipment wasn’t available to the doctors and nurses on the ward and they probably can’t explain it and express their frustration at the time.
“I think a parliamentary committee should certainly inquire into this but I think the National Health Standards Accreditation Committee should come back into this hospital, take a long hard look at what’s going on at that hospital and really form a view as to whether they’re providing the sort of services that we accept, as is the appropriate standard in an Australian hospital.”
The Government has been contacted for comment.