"Dedication, compassion, selflessness and kindness"

From the moment we entered the maternity unit at QEUH we were utterly amazed at the dedication, compassion, selflessness and kindness of all the staff we encountered. All too often you hear the bad news regarding NHS as that’s the kind of stories that sell, but what we experienced was nothing short of top class service.

We started off at maternity assessment as my partner's waters broke very unexpectedly. Staff were supportive and kept us informed with what to expect next. Within no time we were transported to ward 47 and made extremely welcomed by all staff.

My partner was monitored throughout the night and reassured constantly as she began to experience more pain. The following morning at midday, a midwife by the name of Hanna gave us the most professional, supportive, empathetic experience as she navigated the full day of my partner's C-section start to finish.

I watched in complete awe as Hanna went about her role so focused attending to my partner's needs that I suspect she could barely hear the gratitude I expressed to her at every occasion. In our perfect day, which could only go downhill due to external events, the greatest compliment I can pay to Hanna is that our day remained perfect with memories to hold onto for a lifetime.

When it was time to say goodbye to Hanna, both my partner and I were emotional as we felt honoured to have shared the best moment of our life with her. We could sense her care and wanted to gift her something but she firmly declined. So the greatest gift we can give her is with these words, and even with that we fall short. Hanna you made that day so special for us and to you it was just a normal day turning up to work, giving your all. Thank you 🙏

We were also incredibly grateful to the anaesthetist who wasn’t just a master of his craft but before, during and after showed incredible amounts of care and compassion which really helped reassure my partner.  The surgeon and all the team in theatre were so professional and every went 🤩  

We then got transported to ward 50 and the theme continued with incredible NHS staff doing a wonderful job. Donna, Sharon and Zoe were all incredible and gave us continued support throughout our time in the ward. 

I know words never really do justice but hope this message reaches the staff and they can reflect for at least a New York second, now incredible they are and the lasting impression they make. My son will grow up being told stories about the staff that took care of him and his mummy. Eternally grateful.