"You saved my life - what else matters?"

I almost collapsed in reception, could not breathe and honestly believed I was not going to make it. Thankfully, the lady receptionist on admissions leapt into action and got me straight through to the team before making my wife fill out my details. It may only be another day at the office to you guys, but the care and professional treatment I received could not have been bettered. With your help and the aid of nebulisers etc, you brought me back, when both myself and my wife genuinely believed this was a major problem. I suffer from Copd and Asthma, I also have other health problems ‘so it could have been reality, that I could easily have died. I had never before experienced Copd problems so acute as I was a bit naïve about the condition. I have to thank you all again for your help, After 4 days, I am now back home. I also want to thank those patients who had to wait even longer to see the team (after waiting who knows how long), just for me to jump the queue. I heard nobody complain, which I would have expected, and I hope they all got seen very soon after and I feel sure that they will have received the same magnificent care that I had. One final point I would make is how appalled I was, when on the ward, I heard so much verbal and racist abuse from other patients who were shouting, swearing and carrying on at the very people who were trying to help them. In two cases it was simply because they didn’t get a nicarette spray! One man in particular who was being aggressive over such trivial matters was so bad, myself and other ward members were suggesting security remove him from the hospital grounds, but the staff just got on with it and continued to give him the best care and attention. That is dedication! People have to realise, this is a teaching hospital and many of the staff are only weeks or months into a job, and many come from other countries (thankfully) and often struggle to be understood, but they are still doing everything they can to help the very people who look down on them and abuse them. Thank you all so much in A&E, Wards J27 and 84 at St James. To me, you are all legends!