"My time at the Ulster Hospital"

I have had cause to visit both the Ulster Hospital Emergency and Minor Injury Departments in the last two weeks. While it has been obvious what pressure the staff have been under when you consider the waiting times I think it is far more important to put on record the incredible care I received on both visits.

It is a credit to those staff dealing with me and others I witnessed over many hours throughout both day and night that they took such genuine care for me and others. They showed me such kindness and understanding at what were difficult times of pain and distress with the utmost professionalism and were all a credit to themselves and the health service that we are all so lucky to have take care of us.

From Terry and Sean, nurse and Doctor in the Emergency Department to Helen, Catherine  and Doctor David in Minor Injuries I would like to thank you all for taking time to listen, care and explain what you were doing, why you were doing it and your thoughts on my recovery from my injury.

It is also important to thank the receptionists and other support staff. I was struck by the number of people who through frustration and worry in some cases where complaining about waiting to be seen but what really struck me was how lucky we are to be seen by such dedicated staff working sometimes ridiculously long hours in such a pressured environment and being able to do it with such humanity and kindness. 

I will not forget how wonderfully I have been treated during my two recent visits and how it made my issues even that little bit easier to deal with. What Terry, Sean, Helen, David and Catherine do is remarkable and if they had the support they deserve from both government and us… the public they care for day and night, seven days a week, fifty two weeks a year it might ensure we all have kind, caring, professional individuals like them to look after us , our children, our elderly relatives, our friends for years to come.

They deserve our gratitude, our support and our understanding every moment of every day in the job they turn up to do on our behalf.

My deepest heartfelt thanks to you all.