"I have been amazed and humbled by the kindness and professionalism"

I recently spent four months in rehab in Withers 1a following a life-changing episode which has left me with greatly reduced physical capacity. By definition, anyone who finds themselves referred to this ward has suffered a major misfortune, but allowing for that I consider myself lucky to have had this quality of care made available. 

The ward has a multi-disciplinary approach and fosters a strong team ethic across the different professions. The consultants are a familiar presence on the ward and are open and approachable, to their enormous credit. My previous hospital experiences have left me a confirmed fan of the nursing profession, and once again I have been amazed and humbled by the kindness and professionalism with which I was treated by the nurses at all levels, taking care to include the students I encountered and a small group of agency staff who are block booked, so very much a part of the ward.

It would be remiss of me not to mention at this point that on a handful of occasions the actions of a particular nurse fell well short of the high standards I generally experienced. I expressed my concerns to senior staff and I believe that they were taken seriously. It's my earnest hope that something can be learned and that no other patient will have the same experience.

To my admiration for nurses I can now add the same for  Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists, of each of which a small group is attached exclusively to the ward. Something that becomes clear very quickly is that no two spinal injuries are the same, and the physios tailor a programme to optimise the potential of each patient, working mostly one-to-one with a designated physio in a way that facilitates trust and builds confidence. The team work so well together (in a way that appears almost intuitive) that it was only on my penultimate day in the ward that I found out who was in charge. The OTs also work one-to-one preparing patients to live with their new limitations, turning any physical gains made with the physios into practical techniques useful in everyday life. There is clearly an ongoing exchange of information, indeed between all the professions in the ward.

I can, of course, only speak to my own experiences. My time on the ward coincided with strikes and ongoing staff shortages, though the staff who were there worked like Trojans to minimise disruption. I can imagine no reason to read this unless you or someone close to you has been referred to the ward, in which case I would exhort you or them to seize the opportunity to maximise your potential. My biggest complaint is that I wasn't there long enough, there were still gains to be made but I think I would always feel like that, and I have, I hope, the tools to maintain progress thanks to the work of the physios in particular and the generosity of the NHS in providing equipment.