"Borders General Hospital"

I broke my wrist in Dec. I couldn't get treatment at my nearest hospital in Berwick (I live in the middle of nowhere on the Scottish side of the Border) because there is no x ray facility, although the nurse did bandage me up to support the injury. I eventually found someone to drive me all the way to the Borders where I was very well treated.   I  was told to return in a week and that an appointment would be given, but had no info either by phone or by post but a phone call put everything right.

              Because there is no patient transport service I eventually managed to get a lift from a friend who lives across in Northumberland but they were limited for time so I was quite worried about getting back - the hospital is a very long way from here. I phoned up the fracture clinic and got through to a wonderful person, Alison, the plaster technician. Nobody promised anything but  when I got there they did their level best to help so I was in and out in roughly an hour. Alison at work is an amazing person whose expertise is quite something. She, is someone whose spirit of professionalism was as envisaged by Nye Bevan when the NHS was set up. Yes, Alison - the NHS is full of people who go the extra mile as you do. The delicacy and understanding with which she positioned my wrist was phenomenal to watch. Lovely department from the appointments desk to the consultant or the porters.

               I'm back tomorrow to get the stookie off. The only thing I dislike about the hospital are the moronic televisions making a stressful and unnecessary noise which exacerbates an already tense situation for many people and makes life difficult for a range of special needs from autistic spectrum to hearing impairment.

I would also have liked a more informative leaflet about my fracture because I didn't understand why I had to return in a week when I was in a & e but couldn't ask the questions  wanted because the gas and air slightly jangled my thought processes! Having said that, nobody can fault the treatment I got either physically or as a human being. Given that the NHS is in a state of severe crisis at the hands of an unfeeling government I can only be grateful for the care I received.