Woman Says Hospital Told Her There Was ‘Nothing Wrong’ and Sent Her Home. Later, She Required Surgery for Bone Spurs in Her Spine

A Queensland woman says she was discharged from her local emergency room despite escalating pain — and later needed surgery to remove bone spurs in her spine.

Amanda Young, of Queensland, Australia, called an ambulance in 2023 after her back pain worsened and she was taken to Townsville University Hospital, according to local outlet 7 News. Young told 7 News she was given pain medication and sent home shortly afterward.

About four hours later, she said she returned to the hospital “screaming in agony.” Young claimed staff were dismissive, saying one doctor told her to “shut up,” even though she says she couldn’t control her reaction because of the severity of her symptoms.

“I was told they’ve already done everything that they can for me, that my medication was appropriate, that they’ve upped the doses of a nerve blocker that was already not working, which is why I ended up back in the hospital,” she told 7 News.

Young said she was eventually put in a hospital bed after repeatedly pleading for help. She also alleged that she was denied a bedpan and, unable to stand, was “forced to go off the side of the bed,” calling the experience humiliating.

When she asked for additional pain relief, Young said she felt she was treated like a “drug seeker.”

“I was told there was nothing wrong with me,” she told 7 News.

Young claimed she was later sent home in a taxi and had to “crawl” into her house and into bed.

The following day, Young returned to the hospital and invoked Ryan’s Rule — a Queensland process that allows patients to request an urgent review of their care if they believe treatment has not been properly escalated. (The rule is named for Ryan Saunders, a teenager who died in 2007 after he failed to receive appropriate medical care.)

Young told 7 News she was then taken to the hospital’s surgery department for a consultation.

“They medicated me straight away, gave me appropriate medication to settle down my symptoms. I was told that he did believe me and that they would eventually operate on me, but they weren’t going to talk about it at that point in time because of the pain and what I’ve been through the last 38 hours,” she said.

Young ultimately underwent surgery the following year, she told 7 News. During the procedure, she said surgeons removed multiple large bone spurs from her back that had not been clearly detectable on an MRI.

She also alleged that the operation took “an extra four hours longer than what it was supposed to” because of how severe her condition was — and she believes the delay in treatment contributed to lasting harm.

“I feel like now, because I wasn’t essential, and they didn’t act quick enough, that I’ve been left with permanent nerve damage and constant cramps every single night,” she told 7 News.

In a statement, Townsville Hospital and Health Service chief executive Kieran Keyes said the health service had reviewed the claims and determined the patient’s concerns were not ignored and that staff care was appropriate.

Keyes said Young had previously raised concerns about emergency department visits, the use of Ryan’s Rule, and follow-up timing, and that those issues were examined through patient feedback channels and referred to the independent Office of the Health Ombudsman. Keyes added that the Ombudsman’s review concluded in January 2025 that the complaint had been managed appropriately.

Addressing Young’s March 2023 emergency presentations, Keyes said she was clinically assessed on each occasion, provided pain relief, and treated based on symptoms and examination. On Ryan’s Rule concerns, Keyes said senior clinicians reviewed Young, including a senior medical officer, a clinical nurse consultant, and an after-hours nurse manager, and hospital records indicated no further escalation was activated after those reviews.

Keyes also said Townsville Hospital and Health Service remains committed to “safe, respectful and patient-centred care,” and encouraged any patient with concerns to contact its feedback service.

The Office of the Health Ombudsman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Young told 7 News she decided to speak publicly because, while she says she can advocate for herself, she worries about people who may not feel able to do the same.

“I’ve got a voice,” she said. “I can talk and advocate for myself, but it leaves me worried about the more vulnerable people that don’t know their rights, that are too afraid to speak up.”