"Praise for the staff for working so tirelessly"

Attended ED in Altnagelvin with my husband who was unwell. We had to wait approximately 27 hours for admission to ACU.  We want to express our deepest thanks and appreciation to all the staff in ED.

In that time they worked relentlessly, I hope they got a break as it didn't seem like any of them did. The staff were fantastic offering us food along with great care and attention. Special mention to the nurses who were too many to mention and 2 doctors in particular. All staff were exceptionally attentive and caring, working in a horrendously demanding environment.

What I feel staff and patients could benefit from is a calling system. Staff had to repeatedly open large heavy doors (which I felt could cause injury with repetitive strain) and shout out peoples' names  across a waiting area. Some patients never seemed to come when called. The system could also help staff communicate better with their patients about waiting times or anything else.  Thankfully I have not needed ED services much in the past but surely in this day and age this simple technology should be available in this type of service. I was shocked to see that staff do not have this already,  especially with the level of footfall seen in this dept.

I however do not want this observation and suggestion to overshadow the main reason for leaving my story and that is to praise the staff for working so tirelessly to give the best level of care anyone could hope and wish for. 

Thank you to all and I hope you get the support and resources you need and deserve to match the level of hard work and care provided  in the dept.