COVID in WA: Vulnerable Perth patient groups claim hospital complacency is putting chances of survival at risk

Cancer sufferers are urging health bosses to do more to stop the spread of COVID within hospitals, as a new infection wave hits. Vulnerable patient groups claim complacency is putting their chances of survival at risk. While many Australians — despite the risks of long-term complications — regard a bout as no more inconvenient than a cold, it’s far from trivial for those already very sick or with weakened immune systems. Renee Margetts, who contracted COVID while in Bunbury Regional Hospital, said the infection delayed the start of her cancer treatment. The 38-year-old described the hospital’s infection prevention controls as “abysmal” in May and June. “Staff weren’t masking, they weren’t isolating patients and they weren’t even shutting doors to people that were COVID-positive,” she said. “COVID was rampant inmy ward at that time. “They were pulling nurses from other hospitals to help make up for extreme staff shortages. I heard one nurse say she had a fever of 38.5C but that she wouldn’t RAT test until the end of her shift. “The cleaners were using the same cloth to clean everyone’s tray table. I said to one of them, ‘I’ll clean it myself with a disposable and she just wiped the table down anyway. “It was really frustrating. I had only just found out about my cancer diagnosis.” “It was devastating. I wanted to start the cancer treatment straight away.” Ms Margetts, from Donnybrook, was told she had cancer in her lungs and bones. “It’s down my spine, my pelvis, my knee, my rib, my shoulder, my scapula,” she said. “It’s also in fluid around my lungs. “I’d seen the scans and seen how bad it was. So I felt like every day that I couldn’t start (treatment) was another day that the cancer was growing. “It put everything back and I wasn’t able to start my cancer treatment for two weeks because I had to start the antivirals.” By then she’d been moved to Fiona Stanley Hospital, which she said was the opposite to her experience in Bunbury. “I had a single room, I had HEPA (high efficiency) filters, staff would wear full PPE coming in and out of the room, I was RAT tested every day to check when I was negative,” she said. “They were taking every precaution.” (But) I couldn’t see family or friends to help support me through the diagnosis. “I need to have my lungs drained (again). But I’m not prepared to go to hospital right now because there’s too much COVID around.” Hospital-acquired COVID is a problem across Australia. Unlike in Victoria, such infections aren’t recorded by WA Health. One in 10 patients who contracted COVID-19 while in Victorian hospitals was confirmed or suspected to have died as a result of their infection, it was revealed in June. Professor Kathy Eagar, foundation director of the Australian Health Services Research Institute, described hospitals as a “health hazard” in a recent social media post. “A friend with severe immunodeficiency diseases (was) infected by COVID twice during two admissions (to a major Sydney hospital) after managing to protect herself since the beginning of the pandemic,” Professor Eagar, pictured below, left, wrote on X. In Queensland, the Australian Medical Association has fired a strong letter to the State’s Chief Health Officer saying patients were being “unnecessarily infected and in some cases dying” because of “inadequate infection controls”. At Townsville hospital, 106 staff tested positive this week. Health Consumers’ Council WA executive director Clare Mullen welcomed the recent re-introduction of mandatory mask-wearing in high-risk clinical areas of hospitals, but worried compliance was lacking. “We’re hearing stories that, even in high-risk areas, they’re not being worn,” she said. “It can be difficult for consumers in hospitals to assert their rights to safe care — for example, by asking that staff wear a mask — because of the power dynamic between patients and clinicians. And it shouldn’t need to be asked for, given it’s been mandated. “Everyone has a right to safe care and that includes people who are at greater risk of serious disease from COVID-19. “We know the health system is under pressure, but infection control is a basic safety measure.” “I don’t think we’ve begun to explore just how disabling COVID is for people who are at risk of serious illness.” Ms Margetts’ mum, Anne, said her daughter “did everything in her power to not get COVID”. “She followed all the rules and then some, and never got COVID. And she was desperately ill and had to go to hospital,” she said. Bunbury Regional Hospital said COVID-positive patients were quarantined. “Staff interacting with these patients adhere to strict infection, prevention and control measures — including the use of P2 and N95 respirator masks, gloves, aprons and long-sleeve gowns,” a spokesperson said. “Our staff work exceptionally hard to protect patients from COVID-19 and we regularly screen patients for symptoms. If a patient is found to be COVID-positive, we take immediate action to prevent further transmission.” Ms Margetts responded: “That certainly was not the case when I was there in June. “They weren’t aware I was actually positive as I wasn’t symptomatic until the night I transferred to Perth. “I know for a fact there was a COVID-positive patient in the room opposite mine and they left him there next to his non-positive roommate and also weren’t even shutting the door to his room, or anyone’s rooms. My roommate and I kept shutting our door to try to help, in vain. But staff kept opening them.” Former Australian Medical Association president Dr Andrew Miller said any hospital-acquired infection was a “betrayal of sick patients who have a right to be cared for in a safe environment”. “This is not a new requirement, but a much publicised legal standard for Australian healthcare facilities,” Dr Miller, pictured right, said. “We have not surrendered to any other disease, for example legionella, golden staph, tuberculosis, or even influenza in the way that we have to COVID-19. “It is completely outrageous that someone who comes to hospital for treatment contracts a disease that has every potential to make their health worse because of our pathetically lame efforts to prevent transmission inside healthcare facilities. “They’re too sick to sue, they lack evidence they got it from a hospital worker, usually, and the Government is playing them for mugs. “The time to provide protection with masks and HEPA filtration is not just when a wave is peaking, but when sick people are around — which is all the time in hospital.” Dr Miller, chairman of public health promotion charity OzSAGE, said doctors and nurses were “coughing all over the wards on their way to wash their hands”. Some WA doctors, who want to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, told The Sunday Times mask-wearing protocols in WA hospitals should be upgraded to require N95 masks/respirators, given they offer more effective protection than surgical masks. A WA Health spokesperson said “no changes are needed to requirements at this stage”. “Since Monday, November 20, 2023, at a minimum, surgical masks are recommended to be worn by all healthcare facility staff and visitors in all clinical areas in public hospitals,” the spokesperson said. “They are required to be worn in high-risk clinical areas ... this includes: haematology and oncology units, renal dialysis and organ transplant units, areas administering immunotherapies, critical-care settings with vulnerable patients, such as intensive care units and neonatal-paediatric intensive-care units, areas conducting aerosol generating procedures, areas with COVID patients and other specialist areas, as defined by the health service provider. “All WA hospitals take infection control very seriously and have a range of practises in place to minimise the possibility of COVID-19 transmission, including P2/N95 masks when caring for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases.” Vulnerable patient groups include those with lung and heart problems, as well as diabetes or obesity. Ms Margetts thought she’d beaten cancer last year following surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. But it returned in May. She’s been told it’s incurable, but remains hopeful new treatments can prolong her life.In the meantime, the brave young woman urged the public to be considerate of sufferers and other vulnerable people like herself. “I know there’s quite a few people going to work COVID-positive, with no masks or anything, just saying ‘it’s a cold and we have to live with it now’,” she said. “I just think that’s so irresponsible.”