Hawkesbury District Health Service

I went to the ED department Monday at 1.30 pm with severe stomach pain to later find out at 7pm after a CT scan that I had diverticulitis. I was given a script for antibiotics, told to take Panadol and sent home. The next morning I was unable to get to a chemist for my script and my symptoms got worse I was in excruciating pain. I went back to the hospital at 5.30pm Tuesday ans explained to the lady at the desk who was pleasant that my symptoms had worsened I was then asked to sit and wait. Not long after a triage nurse named Gale called for me I went into the triage and I have never seen a nurse be so rude and show no compassion she completely belittled me due to the fact I couldn’t get to a chemist to get the antibiotics and told me that I have to help myself the whole time her demeanour was extremely dismissive and aggressive. I was in so much pain and this made me so upset that as soon as I walked out of the triage I left the hospital. I should not have to travel 35 minutes to Nepean hospital and feel completely let down by my local health service.I work in health care and understand that nurses have a tough job but the way Gale treated me was completely uncalled for and unprofessional.

Great service .All midwives were amazing. The experience of delivering a baby was incredibly supported by a great team of many talented and dedicated people.My family is so grateful that words are not enough to show it.A special thanks to Michelle, from the bottom of our hearts!

Just had my ACL surgery in St John Hawkesbury hospital, from the receptionist to the doctors, they all provided a great service, the nurses where amazing and always attending to any question, the physio was so patient and didn't leave me till he made sure that I am using the crushers correctly, and also the pastoral care was great and had a nice 15 minutes conversation, the whole experience other than the pain I had from the surgery was really great and made the surgery process as comfortable as possible

THANK YOU for looking after my Father. You all did a wonderful job in saving him. Your Staff and Doctors were amazing. Special THANK YOU to Cathy Nurse for her fantastic and kind bed side manner.

Midwife Jenny shouldn’t be working with people she is one of the most unprofessional and rude people I have ever met, she makes remarks that just never need to be made such as calling people lazy, fat and asking if the parents planned on their pregnancy. I would be embarrassed to have her as an employee.As for all of the other midwife’s I have no complaints about any of them, they were all lovely especially Annette and Michelle couldn’t thank them enough.

It’s a small and busy emergency ward so be prepared to wait 12 hours or more if you need a wound glued or stitched up. I observed an elderly patient with breathing difficulties wearing a mask and struggling to breathe. The poor man had no one with him and he was ignored by staff the entire time I was there. Patients are quickly and definitively triaged and subsequently not monitored thereafter, just left to wait for unknown lengths of time. I found the staff to be unapologetically uncaring and they did not offer any sound or even thoughtful advice when I asked. I waited patiently as my 5 year old daughter got weaker. The condition of the waiting room is cramped and unclean. The communication and order was dreadful. I left after 5 hours of being casted down the list. I went from 15 in front of us to 19 in front of us and so I decided to drive to norwest private where I was received with attention and care and my 5 year old daughter was treated within a hour. The normal fee was waived and they only charged me $120. The treatment took all of 15 minutes including paperwork. If it isn’t life threatening keep driving past this place. It is one of the worst I have been to in NSW. The one good thing I can say about Hawkesbury hospital is that I gave up on their incompetence 72 hours less than I did on the waiting list at Auburn. I hope the public hospitals get more training, staff, and management they desperately need It.

I’m leaving one star as you can not leave zero. The maternity ward… the drs were good but the midwives were dreadful for someone who is a plus size mother I have never experienced any conditions so deplorable. My dr was away and they had Jenny a midwife do my appointment. She said I was to big for a C-section and I would never heal, that she didn’t believe my glucose test as there was no way someone at my size didn’t have gestational diabetes ect when I was leaving I was a wreck crying my eyes out and she said oh no I fell so bad I made you cry. Then at my next check because I was worried bubba wasn’t moving one male midwife came in and said well you you it’s probably because like me your a bit bigger and you wouldn’t be able to feel as much. At my birth my first nurses where lovely but night where awful I was labouring for 18hrs with only the gass because I wasn’t progressing, beggingfor help I was told that if I was sure I wanted to have a C-section because this would involve waking people up at night to bring the team in. The dr who gave my epidural was the kindest most gentle man and when he was leading me to theatre he looked at my partner and said “ she how clam she is now this is why I do this” then Dr Gulati and her team delivered my son and she was the most incredible compassionate dr I have ever had. Once my son left the room with my partner I asked if someone could hold my hand and sure enough over came a nurse talked to me said I was ok and held my hand till I was wheeled back to my room. The nurse that wheeled me back she made sure to get paper work signed that said my partner was able to stay with me and our baby for the night she was amazing. Then after the birth of my son I had a wonderful midwife who was day shift but once again night shift was awful. Midwife Louise came in and sore my partner in the chair said to him “well you don’t stay here” not even 24hrs after the birth then I asked her for some water and she looked at my partner and said “well your not doing anything”. That morning after a meeting with my dr which she advised me to rest and that if I need to go to the bathroom to call for help as I already had a catheter in.Louise once again came into my room and said “ you need to get up and shower you don’t need to be lay around” I then demanded to leave and said my mother is a midwife she can take care of me. I spoke to Tracey the head of the department and she said they would try and to her credit she did and I was out of there 48hrs after my son was born. Greatful for the good nurses and for the bad ones find a different profession this isn’t for you

I was treated tonight by Dr Atul Joshi, and he was absolutely amazing. I came in scared as I was getting stitches for the first time, and his service was friendly, warming & just amazing. Making me laugh through something I feared, treating my partner and I with the utmost respect, patience and kindness. Thank you so much for your service you are a wonderful doctor.

I was admitted to the Barry Collins Ward after a hip abductor surgery. I was so dissapointed with the place with one nurse in particular - Jess who made my stay miserable. She is about as cold as it gets. Thank God for another nurse Alyssa who kept me going, was so caring and positive the whole time. You need more Alyssas and the likes of Jess need to leave that place.

5 hr wait after being brung in by ambo with chronic pacraeitis while in severe pain .. all nurses and surgeons tried there hardest once in and got the job done. awesome work in all aspects by all employees and volunteers