"I would like to commend NHS Lanarkshire on their initiative"

I attended accident and emergency last night following a fall down the stairs at work. When we arrived the reception staff were friendly and although we had a bit of a wait I was pleased to see that those attending with children were taken very quickly.

We were taken through to the minor injuries area where Alan the physio was kind, informative and reassuring, This is an excellent model, using AHP staff to assess and treat limb injuries. I was also very impressed with the level of knowledge Alan had and how he tailored his questions and treatment to my own medical needs.

I was taken through to x-ray where staff were again friendly and professional,. One small comment would be that at no point did anyone ask if I may be pregnant, while there are signs in the department encouraging patients to declare a potential pregnancy for those with literacy issues etc may I suggest a verbal question also.

Upon my return from x-ray we were seen promptly given advice re mobilisation and how best to prevent future injury, I was able to ask questions specific to my profession and at no point did Alan make me feel like I was there inappropriately or that he was in a rush. Having seen how busy the department was this was much appreciated.

I would like to apologise for having accessed A and E for what turned out to be a sprained ankle as I am aware this could have been dealt with elsewhere but I greatly appreciate the time and care taken by all staff to reassure me that this was not something more serious and to provide advice personal to me and my situation, The staff working within this department are a credit to the NHS and I would like to commend NHS Lanarkshire on their initiative to have an AHP led service. Please pass on my thanks to Alan and let him know that I am recovering well with my laptop at home with a plan to return to work tomorrow and access physio as advised.