"The standard of care I received throughout this experience was absolutely five star"

I recently had a heart attack at home and was driven to SWAH by my partner. Once I was in the A&E department I was seen promptly by Dr. Hadi, who had immediately recognised the nature of the emergency, and by his team. I was informed exactly what was happening to me and what steps they were taking to deal with the issue and make me comfortable so when they set about inititial treatment I felt safe and fully informed. The professionalism of everybody concerned was exemplary.

I was transferred in an emergency ambulance to Altnagelvin Hospital where I went straight into the angioplasty suite. The paramedics had contacted the hospital shortly before we got there to inform them of our ETA, which meant the whole team was prepped and waiting to begin the procedure as soon as I arrived. The doctor in charge introduced himself to me and explained in full what was going to happen so that I was fully informed and reassured. I do have hazy memories of the procedure due to the sedation/anaesthetic but I recall that members of the team were constantly reassuring me throughout and making sure that I felt safe.

After the procedure I was transferred to a cardiac aftercare ward, where I remained for monitoring and tests for the next 24 hours. Again the standard of care was exceptional and the staff on duty were on hand to answer any queries or provide any help I needed and answer any questions my family had.

The next day I was moved back to SWAH, my local hospital, and stayed for another 24 hours on the cardiac ward there. It sounds odd to say it was a pleasure to be on this ward but everyone was so friendly and uplifting at what was a confusing and difficult time emotionally, they really did make a huge difference to my spirits and give me a more positive feeling about the future when to be honest I was feeling quite anxious. 

Although I arrived early-afternoon, they had thoughtfully kept a lunch meal for me so that I could eat when I arrived and they took the trouble to accommodate my dietary preferences (no meat) throughout my stay which I very much appreciated.

The standards of professional care were exemplary and the nurses and doctors on duty always kept me fully informed of what they were doing and what was going to happen, which made me feel reassured as a patient. 

I should also register my gratitude for the professionalism and general attitude of other staff members who were associated with my care at SWAH, from Cardiac Rehab to the pharmacist who explained my future medications and the two porters who wheeled me to the ultrasound department and back. 

I hope that this feedback is passed to all the line managers and relevant department heads at both SWAH and Altnagelvin, as the standard of care I received throughout this experience was absolutely five star and deserves recognition as well as my gratitude.