Jannali's Story

With Jannali’s permission, we are sharing her story, told by a friend, to highlight why trauma-informed care matters. What happened during a routine hospital stay left her feeling unsafe, unheard, and unsupported.

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Last year, Jannali was admitted to hospital for knee surgery and was meant to stay for rehabilitation. Her medical file clearly stated that she is a survivor of sexual abuse. Despite this, she was placed in a shared room with three men.

She told staff she couldn’t stay there, but her concerns were dismissed. She was told to “stop being silly.”

When I contacted the hospital, I was instructed to submit a request through their website and wait several weeks for a response. When I tried to explain that this was urgent, the call was ended – twice.

As a survivor myself, living with complex trauma, I knew how serious this situation was. I contacted another department and was eventually put through to the nurse in charge of the ward.

I was told it wasn’t an issue because my friend had decided to discharge herself and go home, and that she could remain in the same room until she was collected. At that point, I challenged this response. I asked whether it would be considered acceptable for anyone to wait in a room with three unfamiliar men when they had already expressed feeling unsafe. I requested that she be moved to a safer space, separate from male patients, while waiting to be picked up.

I also asked whether her file had been properly reviewed. I was told only the first page had been read. The note identifying her as a survivor was on the second page.

I requested that this information be made clearly visible on the front of her file to help prevent this from happening again. Staff agreed and updated the file accordingly.

While I appreciate that action was eventually taken, it should never have required intervention or escalation. My friend’s needs were clearly documented, and her distress was communicated. She should have been listened to and supported from the outset.