Ex-nurse sick after eating a mushrooms denied ambulance, hospital care

Staff at Bundaberg Hospital allegedly told an ex-nurse she wasn’t dehydrated because she was crying after presenting to the ED in fear she was dying from food poisoning after eating mushrooms.

Ex-nurse Judy McLardy was denied an ambulance and did not receive any medical attention in the Bundaberg Hospital Emergency department after presenting with suspected food poisoning after a mushroom meal.

When ex-nurse Judy McLardy became extremely ill after eating a dinner of salmon and mushrooms, she thought the worst given the recent headlines about the deadly beef Wellington lunch in Leongatha.

The oyster mushrooms, bought from a friend who owns a mushroom farm, had been in the fridge for about a week before Judy’s partner Charlie sauteed them with some salmon in their Avoca home at 8pm on Tuesday, August 15.

Only Judy ate the mushrooms, saying Charlie has “a totally different diet” to her.

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“He’s like a carnivore and I’m like a vegan,” she said.

About 30 minutes later, Judy started to feel sick and began vomiting uncontrollably, developing cold sweats and increasingly severe stomach pain.

As her condition deteriorated, thoughts of the tragic outcome of the mushroom meal that killed three people in Leongatha began to play on Bundaberg former Nurse Judy McLardy’s mind her mind.

A nurse for her entire working life with 20 years’ experience at Bundaberg Hospital, Judy first thought she might be having a heart attack, and then thoughts of the tragic outcome of the mushroom meal that killed three people began to play on her mind.

“I was a bit worried because of all the news about the mushrooms … I just thought that’s maybe what’s going to happen,” she said.

With Judy’s condition rapidly deteriorating, Charlie called 000 for an ambulance about 9.30pm and 10pm, on both occasions being told there were no ambulances available.

At 11pm a Queensland Ambulance Service dispatcher called to inform the couple they would not be able to send any ambulances to transport Judy that night.

“She phoned and just deeply apologised and said, ‘we just can’t get anyone out, I’m really sorry’,” Judy said.

Charlie then drove Judy to the hospital. She was still vomiting uncontrollably and soiling herself in the car while wrapped in a towel.

After being triaged as a Category 3 patient around 11.30pm Charlie and Judy sat in the waiting room with about six other patients.

Judy McLardy left the Emergency Department without receiving any care after waiting for two hours, 90 minutes longer than the clinically recommended wait times for her category.

Judy said she received no medical attention while waiting, needing to ask the staff for a warm blanket and a Zofran tablet to suppress the vomiting.

As time passed, she challenged the staff for not considering that she was dehydrated due to fluid loss.

“How do you know I haven’t got sepsis, how do you know I’m not dehydrated?” she asked.

“Well you’re crying aren’t you? You’ve got tears,” the staff responded, according to Judy.

Around 1am Judy demanded to see the nursing manager, who told her that the delay was due to a “bed block”, with no beds free within the hospital for Judy to receive the care she urgently needed.

Judy came across a nurse she used to work with, who told Judy the bed blocks were a regular occurrence.

“She just said to me, ‘Judy, this is every night’,” Judy said.

Judy and Charlie gave up any hope of receiving medical attention and left the emergency department at 1.30am after waiting for two hours.

According to Queensland Health guidelines, category 3 patients should be seen by a treating doctor or nurse within 30 minutes of arriving in the emergency department.

A Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service spokeswoman said Tuesday was a “particularly busy evening”, with over 40 patients presenting at the Emergency Department between 4pm and midnight.

“Patients are always medically assessed and triaged by a clinician according to their health needs,” the spokeswoman said.

“The most urgent patients who come to Bundaberg Hospital ED are seen on average within 0 minutes.

“Even our less urgent patients ... are seen on average within 31 minutes.”

Now recovered, although still weak from the ordeal on Friday, Judy said she bears no grudges against the nursing staff for her ordeal understanding from experience that they are understaffed.

Judy bears no grudges against the nursing staff, saying she is more disappointed that an ambulance was not dispatched and has lodged a formal complaint with QAS.

She said she is more disappointed that an ambulance was not dispatched, and has lodged a formal complaint with QAS.

“The disappointment was more that they wouldn’t come, that’s what really upset me,” Judy said.

“I don’t mind waiting an hour … but when in the end she just apologised and said they couldn’t come, I was so upset.”

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A QAS spokesperson said Judy’s request was “triaged appropriately” in prioritising life-threatening cases.

“The Queensland Ambulance Service triage cases to ensure life threatening cases are responded to as a priority,” the spokesperson said.

“This case was triaged appropriately using the information provided by the caller.”

Originally published as Ex-nurse sick after eating a mushrooms denied ambulance, hospital care