"Our experience was exceptionally positive"

Dad had query cardiac issue or muscle pain, as the day progressed it got worse with pain levels increasing and his mobility restricted. After a call with out of hours we were advised to call for an ambulance. However, due to delays and his condition stabilising we were encouraged to make our way to the Emergency Department which we did promptly.

We arrived, check in and within 5 minutes we were triaged. Katrina conducted his ECG and supported him to walk the short distance to get his BP and bloods done, supported by staff member Orla. Both of whom were very patient, courteous and took time to assess and understand his presentation and his pain fluctuations. Within 30 mins tests were completed and he was swiftly moved to a bed in Zone B, Amber.

He was observed, further tests completed and treatment administered. My dad has a hearing impairment, cognitive issues and gets very easily agitated, the staff were very kind to him and showed him compassion and courtesy in abundance. The level of care received we were very impressed with, there were a steady stream of patients going through this resus ward all with differing levels of complexity, Orla, Hannah and the rest of the team (didn't get all their names) worked at pace to settle patients and communicate to their families / carers allaying fears and concerns where they could. The were all so diligent in the checking of obs, addressing changes in condition. In dad's case, pain relief and oxygen and monitoring his arm and shoulder whilst further tests were carried out. We were kept informed as diagnostics were conducted and explanations of results.

The staff were very positive and engaging despite having an exceptionally busy ward to oversee. The bay that dad was in was very warm, understandably at this time of year, however, he struggles with temperature regulation. Orla was swiftly on this and got a fan to help which reduced his agitation. Late in the evening Able offered sandwiches and soup to patients and families. This was a huge relief as my dad is diabetic and in our rush we had limited food for him to help control sugars 

I was suitably impressed with the Manager, her ability to swiftly manage the handover, her and the team's attention to infection control and also how well they worked as a team. The Manager, Stacey, was at ease with all the patients coming in, her and the team adapting well to the volume of patients and all of the competing demands whilst not once allowing standards of care to falter. In my opinion, Stacey embodies the values of HSC, it is clear that her management and bedside manner, which her team uphold too are what made our experience a stand out experience.

Dad had been given pain relief and rigiouris checks were undertaken to ensure that he was not allergic. His xray was completed and within 30 mins the results were with him and the Dr, Jonathan explaining to him what the outcome was. Again, his approach helped my dad to understand the diagnosis and what would happen next. He was gracious with his time and provided space for questions and ensured that Dad was happy. His approach and how he conveyed the medical explanation in layman's terms helped make this easier to understand. Discharge happened swiftly after with medication prescribed and again time afforded to understand management of this. 

We are extremely thankful to all of the above mentioned and those who helped and we didn't get their names. We were concerned that Dad was having a cardiac incident due to presentation and were so relieved that everything was OK from that perspective and he was able to be discharged to home. We were suitably impressed with the diagnostic management throughput at RVH compared to that of a hospital a few weeks were their triaging system meant back and forth multiple times and added unnecessary delay and duplication. 

Once again thank you to all of the staff involved, our experience was exceptionally positive and reflected a very well managed and structured service that had my dad assessed, diagnosed and discharged very efficiently. As mentioned that staff that we experienced were a credit to Belfast HSCT.