THE family of a seven-year-old boy who was taken to Cessnock Hospital only to be turned away has received an apology. Login or signup to continue reading The boy, Memphis Sharp, who lives with his mother and sister at North Rothbury, was in a bad way when he arrived at Cessnock Hospital's emergency department about 9am on August 26. He had started to become unwell on the Saturday, two days earlier, when an ambulance visited the home and gave the boy an injection, suggesting he probably had a bad bout of gastro, his mother Ashley Brown said.
However, he became progressively worse and by Monday morning he was barely able to move. "He was lethargic and he honestly could not move his head, he could not walk, he could not do anything," Ms Brown said. The boy had been vomiting and was unable to take water, was lethargic, and dehydrated.
But upon arrival, the paramedics and family were told that Cessnock Hospital could not take him, because they do not treat children under ten who arrive by ambulance. They were told that if the child could walk into the emergency department, they could treat him, but not otherwise. The child, who was desperately ill, was then taken to Maitland Hospital.
Ms Brown said his appendix was removed that day, and he was placed on a drip and underwent a series of tests and scans. Two days later (August 28) his condition worsened. He was put on oxygen and then transferred to John Hunter Hospital because he required nurse-controlled pain management which was n.