Wallan resident’s bid for a fix

A WALLAN resident is facing a last-ditch bid to fix a nerve issue which has lingered since 2021, accusing the Austin Hospital of failing in their duty to provide healthcare in his surgery bid.

Daniel Taylor has written to multiple politicians and health officials in his bid to seek clarity on a nerve issue in his neck which has plagued him for four years.

According to a letter, which has been seen by The North Central Review, Mr Taylor said that the MRI he had in January 2023 revealed nerve compression in his cervical spine caused by disc osteophytes and disc health loss.

Mr Taylor said he then had spinal fusion surgery on the C5 and C6 bones in August 2023, but the surgery failed to fix his nerve issue.

Over the last two years, Mr Taylor had sought advice from the Austin Hospital to receive support but had not received the surgery he had needed, which he claimed also included a doctor dismissing his symptoms towards wearing a watch too tightly, while a surgeon admitted after an MRI that they missed the bone spurs which were not removed.

Mr Taylor said he had nowhere left to turn, and is now contacting politicians, such as Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas and the Health Complaints Commissioner.

Mr Taylor said an email, which was addressed to Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell, was forwarded to MP Ros Spence, which was forwarded to Ms Thomas, then forwarded to Safer Care Victoria. Safer Care Victoria, he claimed, ‘failed to highlight the failures of the Austin Hospital and stated they can’t make the Austin Hospital fix the issue’.

“It’s been going on for quite a while, and because of the issues, I’ve tried to involve as many people as I can now, because no one is really doing much to do with official bodies or health complaints or anything, really,” he said.

“I had a surgery in 2021 for compression of nerves in my neck at the Austin, which has led to constant pain and issues, and the MRIs before and after the surgery are exactly the same, and I’ve tried to raise an official complaint having not done the surgery properly, they’ve left me in pain the whole time.”

Mr Taylor claims Austin Health has now shut him out of receiving healthcare, citing behavioural issues which he says stems from emails he has sent threatening legal action.

“Because of my complaints and follow-up based on what the Austin Hospital tell me versus what they put in writing are two totally different things. That’s what I was trying to call them out on, and then they said we won’t give you healthcare anymore, you need to go somewhere else. They also backed down on what they said about needing another operation. It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

“They told me I’m being aggressive, and they don’t want to treat me anymore, but all I’ve been doing is sending multiple emails saying that if they aren’t going to respond to my emails and complaints, I’ll have to take out legal action because I can’t see any way forward.”

Mr Taylor said the process had frustrated him.

“It’s also highlighting how flawed everything is as well. Members of Parliament who I’ve been emailing, I get a response that they’re forwarding it to someone else. No one is taking ownership or accountability over fixing a problem,” he said.

Mr Taylor said his workplace has provided him great support.

“Work has been great. I’m in an admin-based role, but I have to get up a lot, as my hands and wrists are sore. I have visible muscle wastage in my hands, where the skin is sucking in my hands, and I get pain using my hands for 30 seconds or so. I have to change hands if I’m stirring something on the stove, for example, as it’s nerve pain. It’s worse on the left side, but it’s still severe on the right side, but not as bad, so I get pain in my arms and hands, and also getting pain in my neck,” he said.

“Every single day, I’m left in pain. I come into work, and I take two opioid tablets every day.”

Mr Taylor said he has currently booked in an appointment with the Royal Melbourne Hospital but had already expressed reservations about possibly being sent back to the Austin Hospital to start the process again.

“I’ve started the process with the Royal Melbourne Hospital, but my appointment is in August. They don’t know me from a bar of soap; they don’t know my condition. I can already picture in my mind if I present myself there, they will say that I need to go back to the Austin, as they did the original surgery. I still need healthcare, but this will be a long process rather than going back to the place that has my history and did my operation to begin with,” he said.

Ms Thomas and Austin Health were contacted for comment.