Disturbing photo of a patient on a drip sleeping on the floor of a waiting room reveals the dire state of Australia’s overrun healthcare system – as insiders speak out
- Whistleblower claims patients are dying in waiting rooms
- Picture emerges of a woman receiving a drip on floor
A healthcare workers has claimed that overcrowding in a western Sydney hospital is leading to patients dying in the waiting room, as a disturbing photo emerges of a woman being treated with a drip on the floor.
The anonymous whistleblower, who works at Westmead Hospital in Parramatta, told 9News the situation is so dire that ‘people’s lives are at stake’.
‘I don’t want to look another patient’s relative in the eye and say they have died in our waiting room,’ the worker said.
‘They have died because the emergency department was so overcrowded that patients we have already seen have not moved on and we can’t treat new patients.’
A troubling picture of a patient receiving an intravenous drip while lying on the waiting room floor was taken at 5am on Saturday 13 May by another horrified patient – who was forced to wait for almost 15 hours herself
An anonymous whistleblower, who works at Westmead Hospital in Parramatta in Sydney’s west, told 9Newsthat overcrowding is so dire that ‘people’s lives are at stake’
The worker suggested people to drive to Royal North Shore Hospital if they wanted to receive better care.
It comes after the emergence of a troubling picture of a patient receiving an intravenous drip while lying on the waiting room floor.
The picture was taken at 5am on Saturday May 13 by another horrified patient.
Josephine Lord, 67, was admitted to hospital with a fever and breathing problems but was forced to wait for almost 15 hours when she saw a woman under a blanket being treated on the floor.
‘It’s at that point I’m thinking, am I in trouble here?’ Ms Lord told 9News journalist Ruth Wyn Williams.
The Winston Hills grandmother was then moved to a temporary bed and forced to stay in the emergency department for three days after doctors told her they had no beds left.
Westmead Hospital bosses have apologised for long wait times and have sad they had increased staffing levels
Western Sydney Local Health District chief executive Graham Loy said Westmead Hospital had experienced high patient loads in the emergency department.
‘We sincerely apologise to anyone who may have experienced a long wait time in our emergency department (ED),’ Mr Loy told 9News.
‘Westmead Hospital has experienced a high volume of patients presenting to the ED in recent months.
“Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) is working hard to improve the way we manage patient demand, increase staffing levels and invest in programs to provide alternative pathways for urgent care and ease pressure on our emergency departments.
Mr Loy said they had increased staffing in the beleaguered hospital and they had been encouraging aged care patients to use the inTouch service to avoid presenting in emergency departments.
