We filed a written complaint on January 15, 2013 requesting that Alberta Health Services review the Children's Hospitals treatment of our daughter and approach to chronic appendicitis. We were immediately assigned a representative with AHS Patient Relations who advised it would take some time. At this point, we were impressed with the Patient Relations system.
Then last Friday, Feb. 1, we received a call from our representative who relayed their response verbally. It was from Alberta Children's Hospital (ACH) Head of Surgery - the surgery department was central to our complaint against ACH.
It was the same circular argument - that our daughter didn't have anything wrong with her appendix because the tests were negative, although the tests cannot 100% eliminate the appendix as the problem, at which point we would request appendectomy, to which they would say no - her appendix isn't the problem. The rep even said 'surgery is only a last resort' to which I replied 'we were at the last resort and were still denied the option of surgery'. She said we should meet with the Head of Surgery at ACH for 'closure'. We aren't looking for closure - we got closure when she got better after her appendix was removed. We are looking for appendectomy to be offered as a 'diagnosis of exclusion' and that appendectomy be provided as treatment in these cases, if parents/guardian's are fully cognizant of and willing to accept the risks.
We then said we'd prefer to wait for written response to which she replied 'why would you want a written response?'. We consider it inappropriate and unprofessional that the response would come from the party we are complaining about and that it not be written and that we would be expected to meet with ACH without an outside, 3rd party present.
We have sent a letter back to AHS Patient Relations requesting a written response and that the case be reviewed by a medical professional outside of ACH. This seems obvious to us but appears to be very difficult for AHS to grasp.
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