"Wonderful Care"

We’ve had two hospital stays this year on Castle Mey Ward with our baby son, once in January following a choking incident and again in June due to dehydration and low blood sugar. Both times, the care we received was excellent and I wanted to share our gratitude.

From the very beginning, the paramedics were amazing. They arrived quickly, were calm and reassuring, and made a frightening situation feel more manageable. Triage was also great on both occasions. We were seen promptly and with care, and it was clear that staff were doing everything they could to keep things running smoothly despite being busy.

On the ward, the staff were consistently kind, responsive, and helpful. They always took the time to answer our questions and were quick to respond to any requests. I especially appreciated the gentleness shown during blood tests. On more than one occasion, when it was too distressing for my son, the team gave us time to calm him before trying again. That small kindness made a big difference. Another time when he needed bloods taken, he was happily playing on his playmat, and instead of moving or upsetting him, the staff member knelt down and took them while he played, a small gesture, but one that showed real care and consideration for his comfort.

A special mention to Nurse Eilidh, who recognised us from our first stay. It really meant a lot to be remembered, even after only a short visit several months earlier. It made our experience feel more personal and reminded us that we weren’t just another family passing through. She always had a warm smile on her face and brought a real sense of friendliness to the ward.

As a breastfeeding mum, being brought meals during our stay was invaluable. I couldn’t have left to get food myself, and this thoughtfulness really helped. The breastfeeding support lady on our first visit was great, and though I missed her the second time, she still gave helpful advice through the nurses. I was also really grateful for the nurses who tried different ideas to help get my son back to nursing. One lovely nurse (I unfortunately didn’t catch her name but she had blonde hair) suggested using apple juice, which he’d taken well for dehydration, and it worked. He’s been nursing well since.

Katie from the playroom team was fantastic and also remembered us from January. When we couldn’t access the playroom on our second visit due to a virus, she still brought us fresh books and toys each day to keep my son entertained. When he was younger, the bouncer she gave us was a lifesaver and gave me a chance to rest my arms. Little things like that make a huge difference.

The ward itself was spotless, which is so reassuring with a baby that wants to move and explore. It was also spacious and well laid out. On our first visit, staff were kind enough to find us a bed to share overnight, which allowed us to co-sleep (I couldn’t put him down in a cot without him waking up crying), something I couldn’t have managed safely otherwise given how sleep-deprived I was.

I also really appreciated being able to store expressed milk and have my pump and cups cleaned and sterilised. These small, practical things made our stay much easier.

A couple of suggestions. Having a more comfortable space for breastfeeding would help, especially for contact napping or nursing to sleep. The adult bed was fine on our second visit as I knew bring my own wedge pillow, but the first time I struggled without back support. Even having a few small wedge cushions available would be a big help for breastfeeding mums.

We also experienced a long delay in receiving our discharge prescription in June. We were told we could leave once it arrived but waited from 10am until 5.30pm before I asked if we could go home and return. Unfortunately, when I came back the next morning it still hadn’t arrived. I really appreciated the charge nurse calling me at 4pm when it finally did arrive. The nurses were kind and apologetic throughout but it was a frustrating experience when everything else had been so smooth.

One small area for improvement would be communication on days when monitoring is the main focus. On our second day in June, we saw a doctor in the morning but then heard very little for the rest of the day. We hadn’t been aware we were being kept in for another night until I asked much later on. We had originally been told to expect a one-night stay, so it would have been helpful to have that change explained earlier in the day. Even just a quick update to say that the plan was still monitoring and no further doctor review would be happening until the following morning would have made us feel more informed.

Overall, our stays were as positive as they could be given the circumstances, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone on the Castle Mey Ward and all the staff who helped us throughout both visits. Thank you for looking after us so well.