"The emergency care we received was incredible"

We phoned 111 regarding our baby and were triaged very quickly and appropriately. It was decided our case should be escalated to the Scottish ambulance service. We live in a rural location and within 10 minutes a fast response car was at our house with an ambulance following behind only 5 minutes later. Considering our remote location, getting 2x ambulance response vehicles to us within 15 minutes is an outstanding level of service, which we are extremely grateful for. Our little boy was assessed by Mick and it was decided by the Biggar paramedics team (Fiona and Derick) that we should be transferred into hospital.  

On arrival at university hospital Wishaw A&E we were taken immediately to resus where our son was assessed immediately by the consultant Kate who was very personable, thorough and professional. 

We were admitted to Ward 20 (paediatric ward) in UHW. We were assessed by Lynsey who was present throughout the night shifts during our care over the weekend. Lynsey made us feel listened to and was very understanding. She was objective and honest and kept us in the loop with our son's care. 

It was noticed by student nurse Pamela that our son had a high temperature, she acted quickly to escalate her concerns which resulted in our son getting the care he needed quickly.  Laura, who took care of our son when he became unwell, was professional, calm and compassionate.  Djamal helped explain the escalation pathway and helped us understand the protocol for our son's care. She was kind and understanding towards our worries. 

Throughout our stay on ward 20 the nursing staff were extremely attentive, patient and understanding. Every member of staff took the time to explain every situation to us. We would particularly like to highlight the outstanding care by nursing staff members: Steph, Eve, 3x Erins, Megan (for taking our son for a cuddle at 6am and allowed us to sleep for longer), Fiona, Jayne, Elle, Amy (who took us down for X-ray).  

We would also like to highlight the exceptional care we received from the students working on the ward, in particular Pamela. They will be a credit to the NHS once qualified and we wish them all the best in their future careers. 

Last but most definitely not least, a huge thank you to the health care support workers who gave us their time. Myra was a friendly face on the ward who always came to check in on us and this was invaluable in a time of worry and uncertainty. 

We have never had to use the NHS in this way before but the emergency care we received during our 4 day admission was incredible. We will forever be in debt to those who took care of us and will continue to be grateful for the services the NHS provides.