"Magnificent GP and chaperone"

I had an appointment at the Ropewalks surgery on Friday morning and I was nervous to attend; I was in pain and apprehensive. I almost thought of cancelling it. But I am glad I didn't.

The care I receive from my GP is always excellent. Thank you so much. On this occasion, I am also very grateful to the wonderful chaperone. She held my hand without me asking for it verbally! She was emotionally intelligent and skilful in the sense that she held my hand exactly when I needed it most. I was nervous in pain and I could not verbally ask for her hand. The fact that she realised that, made a hugely positive impact on my experience... I always used to think that I would never need emotional support as such and I usually go through life with as little emotional support as possible, but yesterday I realised that holding a supportive hand at the right moment can make a huge difference to a patient's experience. And I really appreciated that.

I hope that all GPs, nurses, and reception staff can learn about similar skills and develop an awareness to emotional cues. Really grateful that I have access to such excellent care. I hope everyone can find GPs whom they can feel totally safe with, because it is the best gift any patient can have.

Thank you so much.