"A more friendly and caring place I have..."

What I liked

My grateful thanks to the NHS for looking after me in a very caring and professional manner after my accident while cleaning Church.

I managed to crawl out of the Church and over to Church Cottage, where fortunately the owner was at home and was brilliant - covered me in blankets, called the ambulance and my husband. Now, this is where the NHS took over. First of all a very kind person came in a car and gave me gas and air until the ambulance came. Then my treatment by the ambulance crew was very caring.

Next, I was in Accident & Emergency at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, and from there into the Orthopaedic department. I was operated on under general anaesthetic the next day for a trimalleolar fracture of the right ankle, and now have plate and several pins in my ankle. Incidentally, when the plaster was put on I was asked what colour I would like! It is purple - well it is Advent and I am in my 70s.

All the care I was given was excellent, both by the consultant and team, including the surgeon, and afterwards in the fracture clinic and in the plaster room, where all staff were excellent: they could not have been more helpful and kind, including when I returned to have the stitches removed and a new plaster on (purple again!).

Just to show how ‘people friendly’ the consultant is: when I first went in I said I must be out at the weekend as I was giving a talk in Church on Sunday (we have no vicar at present). Unfortunately, that was not to be (so my husband read the talk I had prepared), but the consultant remembered and when visited me on the Monday asked how the talk went. The fact that the consultant remembered when so busy I found impressive.

What could be improved

Nothing.

Anything else?

The physio staff were helpful, and phoned my home after I returned to see if we were coping, which we were - but we since acquired privately a wheelchair as I was quite unsteady on my 'good' leg (which was bruised in the accident).

I look forward to returning in January to have my plaster removed and then, I assume, physio to try and get back to normal.