By Alesha Capone
A Point Cook man has called for an investigation after he waited more than 90 minutes for an ambulance and 75 minutes to be admitted to a hospital bed following a stroke in January.
Western Metropolitan MP Bernie Finn raised the incident in Parliament last month, after he was contacted by the stroke victim.
Star Weekly has spoken with the 71-year-old man, who has a history of heart attacks and has previously undergone a triple bypass.
The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was speaking to his son over the telephone on January 28, when he started to have difficulty talking.
“Somehow I found my way into the lounge room … I didn’t know what was happening to me,” the man said.
He said his son arrived and called an ambulance about 4.20pm, but paramedics did not arrive until about 6pm.
“I could’ve died 10 times in this time, if it was a serious stroke,” the man said.
Paramedics diagnosed him as having a stroke and took him to Werribee Mercy Hospital.
The man said he spent more than an hour waiting to be admitted to a hospital bed.
The paramedics stayed with him during this time.
The following day, the man’s wife drove him to the Epworth Hospital, where his cardiologist is based. He spent five nights at Epworth.
The man said he wants an investigation so no one else has to go through a similar experience.
“I don’t blame the paramedics at all though, it’s not their fault,” he said.
Mr Finn said he was “horrified” by the man’s experience.
He said the state government had not kept pace with the growing demand for emergency services in Wyndham.
“This is … threatening people’s lives and it’s gone on long enough.”
A Mercy Health spokesperson said the man arrived at Werribee Mercy Hospital emergency department by ambulance at 6.53pm and was triaged and assessed within 29 minutes.
“Due to the busy nature of the emergency department, the patient was required to wait 1 hour and 15 minutes before entering an emergency bed,” the spokesperson said.
“While the patient’s standard of care was in no way compromised and the patient was under observation and supervision of clinical staff at all times, we acknowledge that waiting can create anxiety and distress for patients and their loved ones.”
The spokesperson said Werribee Mercy Hospital “continues to see growth in patients attending our emergency department which puts strain on infrastructure and staffing levels”.
Ambulance Victoria quality and patient experience executive director Nicola Reinders said that feedback on care provided to patients was taken “very seriously” and each case “investigated thoroughly”.
