"Great standard of care"

On 31st December I attended my GP about numbness from the waist down which I thought was something innocuous like a trapped nerve, she sent me to A&E and told me the symptoms were considered very urgent.

I was triaged quickly, with the GPs referral taken into consideration, and was taken through to minor injuries for an examination after a brief wait. Overall I was in the hospital for around 8 hours but that included blood tests, urine tests, an ultrasound and an MRI. The doctors, nurses and porters were all friendly and patient.

What I thought was a trapped nerve turned out to be Transverse Myelitis so the doctor made an urgent referral for me to see a neurologist at the Walton centre, who I had my first appointment with in less than a week, who has ultimately been able to diagnose me with MS.

I wouldn’t have bothered going to hospital if I hadn’t been pushed (I have had fibromyalgia for a long time, have not always had great interactions with medical professionals and have missed some neurological symptoms due to this) but the A&E staff treated me with such care, and took my condition seriously, they delivered fairly bad news with the utmost kindness and professionalism.

Though A&E was very busy and the staff seemed rushed off their feet, the signposting of wait times in the initial triage area was very clear, my treatment was in very good time considering the number of tests run, and the staff ensured that drinks and sandwiches were available for everyone waiting.

The standard of care was excellent and I could not be more grateful.