Summary
- Two Torres Strait patients have praised Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service staff after recovering from potentially life-threatening skin wounds.
- The pair both required urgent evacuations to hospital but were able to return to their home communities to recover under the care of an expert wound care nurse who used telehealth to help treat both patients virtually with the support of local Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) staff.
Two Torres Strait patients have praised Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service staff after recovering from potentially life-threatening skin wounds.
The pair both required urgent evacuations to hospital but were able to return to their home communities to recover under the care of an expert wound care nurse who used telehealth to help treat both patients virtually with the support of local Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) staff.
Saibai Island store manager Terry Gough scratched his leg on a pallet earlier this year and within three days a colleague found him almost unconscious with a serious bacterial skin infection.
He was seen by a visiting TCHHS doctor on Saibai who diagnosed him with sepsis before being flown to Cairns for emergency treatment.
The 75-year-old great grandfather said he was told by doctors his kidney function was poor and he was at risk of needing his leg amputated, but responded well to treatment and began to recover.
He was able to return to Thursday Island initially for ongoing treatment by doctors, a specialist wound care nurse and an occupational therapist who was able to fit him with a special Velcro compression bandage which was easier for him to apply.
Mr Gough then returned home to Saibai but stayed under the care of TCHHS wound care nurse Neenu Antony via Telehealth and the Saibai PHCC team.
“I’ve made an absolutely remarkable recovery and I think that’s because of Neenu and the other staff,” he said.
“Here I am now, and I’ve got no issue with it.
“I think through good constant care from Queensland Health – on Saibai, at Thursday Island and in Cairns, that’s why I have recovered so well.
“I honestly believe there is better healthcare on the outer islands than there is on the mainland, they’re absolutely amazing.”
Mr Gough is originally from Sydney but grew up in Papua New Guinea and has been living on Saibai for 25 years where he manages the local general store, albeit with imminent plans to retire.
A second patient living on the outer islands has also expressed her gratitude for staff after she became the first TCHHS patient to be treated by a wound care device from the comfort of her home.
The woman in her 40s suffered a complex wound which was not healing and was transferred to Thursday Island in April due to concerns of staff at her local PHCC about sepsis.
She stayed in hospital about a week where the wound was treated, then she underwent a Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) and was fitted with a pump which essentially vacuum seals a wound over a period of time.
She was then able to return home with the pump, the first time this has occurred for a TCHHS patient and had ongoing treatment at her local PHCC with support by the wound care nurse on Telehealth.
“I could just carry the pump with me in a little bag,” the patient said.
“Every second day I went and got the dressing changed at my clinic. The wound shrunk really fast.
“They are so good the nurses there, they told me what they were doing all the way through. “They really guided me through it which I think eased my mind.
“It was good and my dedication to controlling my diet and getting my sugars down really helped.”
TCHHS wound care nurse Ms Antony said the VAC process is quite common in mainland Australia, but this was believed to be the first time for TCHHS that the patient was able to go home with the pump device.
“The amazing staff at the PHCC were able to perform the dressing changes with my support via Telehealth,” she said.
“The wound was significantly healed in about three weeks.
“The patient would have needed to spend several weeks in TI Hospital or be transferred to Cairns if we had not been able to undertake this treatment.”
Ms Neenu said Mr Gough’s case also showed how quickly a simple injury can lead to serious illness.
“In the tropical environment we work in there are inherently high infection risks, so it is very important those in communities practice good hygiene and seek medical attention for their injuries if required,” she said.
“Local PHCC staff are extremely skilled in recognising serious wound conditions and whether patients need evacuation for higher level treatment in hospital,” she said.
TCHHS Acting Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery Services Jacob Walsh said both cases highlighted the Health Service’s focus on delivering healthcare as close to home as possible.
“We know that being in your home community surrounded by family and friends can have a genuine impact on your recovery and we are so happy both these patients have recovered well from potentially incredibly serious illness,” he said.
“We have some exceptionally skilled nurses and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers working on our outer Torres Strait islands and across our entire Health Service who are dedicated to delivering high quality healthcare to residents.
“Virtual care models such as telehealth are also of vital importance in the geographically huge area that we work in to provide community members access to specialist care with support from locally based nurses and Health Workers to ensure cultural and clinical safety.”