"I couldn’t have been treated better than I was"

I was recently I the Glasgow royal infirmary for around ten days in ward 30. I felt unwell at home, my chest hurt and I couldn’t stand and had a massive head ache, but it didn’t feel like my heart or angina, my carer called for another carer and they called a doctor, the doctor decided to call an ambulance for me. The ambulance service have helped me for many years and a lot of them have become more like friends, two chaps who came to get me that day I had already met before, there’s never any hassle trying to take me out in a chair and if I try to talk they take me at my own speed. They are wonderful. The paramedics did some tests on me in the house and in the ambulance.

The nurses were helping me on the ward, there were about 6 at night time, they were all so kind and very considerate.

I have diverticulitis which is a horrible problem to have, but everyone was so kind to me and didn’t make me feel embarrassed or anything. They gave me some new medication. I couldn’t walk to the bathroom without assistance. I couldn’t have been treated better than I was, I was constantly having to get changed because couldn’t get up and got to the toilet and they never made me feel any worse than I did, especially when it was a bad one and I really appreciated that.

I got quite friendly with some of the girls they were very helpful. The health care assistants were wonderful with the patients, there were lots of ladies with dementia on my ward and the staff were amazing caring for all the patients e.g. singing to them and giving them wee cuddles, it was amazing just to watch what they were doing. Everything they did, even for the ladies with dementia they would follow them and take their arm and hand and help them. They looked after 16 people altogether, I was coming home and we had a little party and the ladies were singing Christmas carols, that was a nice way to leave. They work their boots off.

There was a young student male nurse there, Owen, a big tall quiet man and he’s always make me smile. The way he looked after people was so compassionate, he would comb people’s hair and make them look neat and tidy as if any of these women were his own grandma, he’s going to make an amazing, really compassionate nurse. Everything he did, he was so conscientious of what he was doing, and he always had a smile on his face. He's worth his weight in gold.

I really couldn’t have been treated better than I was.