"A shining example of what patient care should be like"

I recently accompanied a friend who has complex health issues , whom I support & advocate for regarding health issues.

They were having a pre-op assessment & then meeting with the consultant anesthetist to assess what type of anesthetic would be used in their case.

The nurses in the clinic were superb. They explained clearly to my friend what they were going to be doing. My friend has limited sight & doesn't always take in information first time. They were excellent in putting him at ease. They also made me feel very welcome & ensured that I was also given the instructions list so that I could liaise with other medical teams with the appropriate information required. They also personally thanked me for my helpful input when my friend was in another room having bloods done

They double checked with my friend to ensure that they were taking in & understanding the information as well as asking me if there were any further questions I wanted to ask.

When we saw the consultant she was also extremely welcoming & communicated well with my friend, again making sure they were taking in the information & explaining clearly what type of anesthetic would be used & why.

The treatment by both the nurses & the consultant was a shining example of what patient care should be like - be heard, work with them at their pace, respect their views & listen to the carer/ advocate.

Quite frankly this was the best clinic appointment that we had experienced to date & there have been a lot of these that we had attended both together & individually over a considerable number of years.

I think the senior, highly experienced nurse should be training other nurses & consultants about the appropriate way to interact with patients!

A shining example of how the experience of attending a clinic should be for all patients & carers.

Unfortunately the norm is well below this standard so to be treated so well in this clinic was heartening.