"Exceptional care for my Dad"

My Dad collapsed recently and was taken to the ARI. His treatment in A&E was very efficient and he quickly sent off to one of these newer wards with his own room. He wasn’t there long though before being moved to Ward 403.

He wasn’t too happy at first as 403 is an old ward with eight patients in the main area, no private toilet, no TV or radio, and very few staff (most of the doctors and nurses were new to their jobs, too).

But he told us he was being looked after extremely well and when I visited I couldn’t believe how good the staff were in what is clearly a very difficult situation. 403 is immaculately kept, the staff work their socks off, and patients get incredible attention despite there being so few nurses and support workers. 

On one visit, I realised there was just one young nurse Eva and one support worker Dennis while another nurse Jodie hurried back and forth to another ward. They must have 12 or so patients on 403 alone but whenever a patient needed help or a kind word, one of them would appear as if by magic and sort things out. They were amazing but they’re going to burn out working like that.

Anyway, my Dad want me to find a way of saying thanks so that other people would know how good 403 is in these difficult times. He especially wanted to thank nurse Jodie for being one of the kindest people he’s come across, Dennis for being the hardest worker he’s seen even after years of being in the Merchant Navy, Martin for making him laugh so much he peed himself (that’s my Dad for you), Sophie, Eva, Emma, Ellie, Rosa and Sook for being lovely and professional, Genny for being ruder than any bosun’s mate (that’s good - apparently she’s an outrageous flirt), Agnes for being the happy grump cleaner who keeps the ward spotless and Sandra the charge nurse who Dad said was a proper captain of her crew. Thanks to you and all the others he’s now back at home with even more stories to tell us! Apologies for the length, but he’s fond of a good story told right.