"Highly Professional "

I was admitted to the Great Western Hospital Swindon on World Heart Day (29th September) with chest pains. I’d known something wasn’t quite right for about a week having been experiencing angina like symptoms whilst cycling 3 time last week. On the Sunday I couldn’t get my heart rate above 120bpm without pain and breathlessness. Nevertheless it took my wife to force me into your Emergency Department on Tuesday morning.

From that moment on the absolute professionalism of all of your teams was so reassuring I felt as though I was watching a TV documentary, I had to remind myself that it was happening because of me!

I can’t name the excellent staff but hopefully they’ve seen the letter that does.

Let’s start with the Emergency Department team, who did my ECG and bold tests, they looked as surprised as me when they told me “we think you might have had a heart attack”. No messing around though despite everything else that was going on, they even took the time to phone my wife.

If I thought all had been professional so far I was blown away by my arrival in the Cardiac Lab. I think that’s when the penny dropped that this was serious when the team were standing there awaiting my arrival. I can remember the constant voice of reassurance, even when I felt like I was sinking through the floor! However the reassurance of the calm voices and people going about their tasks, without panic, but confident urgency was inspirational.

I’m grateful beyond words to the team.

Despite how impressive the team in the Cardiac lab are I have to say that the team on the Acute Cardiac ward are possibly even more remarkable, the professionalism and energy with which they go about their work. I am in awe of the data they have to process and decisions they have to make. The teamwork is incredible. I watched A very senior Doctor consult with one of the student nurses. It struck me that despite the “hierarchy” that every voice on the team was heard, it was reassuring to see that everyone had a voice. I also want to call out the beauty that is the multicultural and diverse workforce. The NHS is the epitome of this diversity.

Finally, I need to call out Charge Nurse. His enthusiasm and energy for everything is infectious. The patience with which he worked with the student nurses and the trust he placed in them. His humour was a massive part in putting them at ease at a time in their career when it must feel daunting. He made me feel welcome immediately and reassured. I cannot thank him and the team enough. If there was a trip advisor for hospital wards they would score maximum.

Thank you to every single person that played a part, I’m sure also there were twice the number of people I didn’t see!