"A & E & Medical Assessment Unit 14-17 May 2019"

Ambulance Call Centre staff very reassuring. Ambulance crew were good and asked about medication. We have realised we need to write down what medications we are taking, including short term things like vaginal suppositories. We think it was oestrogen that may have triggered the extreme migraine when our first thoughts were the arachnoid cyst. This only came to light when speech returned 48 hrs later. Excellent, thoughtful care despite staff being incredibly busy and working in very overcrowded conditions. A& E was full to capacity. It was easier for me, as I had a family member with me at all times to assist and ask for help. It is good that relatives are aloud to stay despite clogging up the space. Someone on their own, with limited mobility and communication skills, may have felt distressed in A&E on entry and in Majors. Dignity may be compromised as patients couldn't independently get to the toilet. When waiting times are very long people need the toilet. I felt sorry for the staff and the overcrowded conditions in which they had to work. Their physical space was severely restricted by beds and trolleys in front of beds in bays and near their computer stations. The Medical Assessment team were considerate and worked well as a team. They listened and chased up scan results and prescribed appropriate medication, finding alternative ways of administering it when swallowing was difficult. A side room aided recovery. It is by no means a complaint but a shared experience. The most distressing thing was noise. A severe migraine, on top of permanent hypersensitivity, following brain surgery, (several years ago) intensified the pain and was debilitating e.g. noisy bin closures, loud voices, bright lights being switched on overhead etc. Most noise cannot be reduced but if a patient is hypersensitive to light, sound and movement can this be noted. The cacophony of light, sound and movement has a strong physical impact on the body like electric shocks, reducing the capacity to speak, move and recover. Cutting out extraneous stimulation certainly aided recovery. Being able to draw curtains around a bed. Staff serving food were very thoughtful and helpful and the food was good. Rehabilitation Ward 216 was an oasis of calm and staff were most helpful. One suggestion for staff training would be to ask students to lie on a bed for 30 minutes imagining they they were a distressed patient and just listened to the ward considering the impact of light, sound and movement. An eye mask and ear plugs helped. The best recovery followed time in the MRI scanner as it cut out sensory stimulation. I am grateful for the skills and compassion of the staff. I am concerned for their wellbeing on 12 hour shifts and under such pressure of work. I send by sincere thanks to all concerned. (Written by Anna on behalf of her sister Veronica) We treasure the NHS 20 May 2019