"Excellent care and support"

I was recently admitted to Ninewells Hospital, Tayside, for the third time since in a couple of weeks due to ongoing issues with recently diagnosed Crohns Disease. 2 weeks after this I had to have an emergency operation. Following the operation, I was moved from a medical ward to a surgical ward which was a scary thought as I’d got familiar with the ward I was on, and felt vulnerable, insecure.

The next morning, I woke up on Ward 10 in Ninewells. My anxiety about the move of wards quickly vanished. The ward staff were lovely, and I was introduced to Barry, the Emergency Laparotomy Support Worker. 

In simple, laymen's terms, Barry introduced himself and his role within my care. To support me using a person centred approach, whilst in the ward. He was kind, approachable, calm, and honest. He immediately put me at ease. 

The staff on the ward were great, but there was a large volume due to scale of ward, so at shift change you were never sure who would be on next which could cause anxiety if you were feeling unsettled. Barry, however, represented something consistent throughout my stay. For the next 2 weeks, I saw Barry everyday except two, and for them he offered and arranged pastoral care to come in and see me as he knew I was feeling quite anxious. 

He used innovative ways to destress me; colouring and magic to name a few. One visit I let him know my daughter was coming to visit the next day, and the following morning he appeared with paper and pens for her to have something when she got here, and she loved it.

The Doctors, Nurses, surgeons, ward names, terminology of the medical world can be complicated and overwhelming. Barry helped me disentangle it, have my voice heard, and advocated for me with my permission. If he said he would do something, he followed through. If something changed, he let me know.

Barry’s support has been more than I can articulate, but I will remember it forever. Thank you