"I cannot speak highly enough about this team"

In early November, following two weeks at home struggling with pain in my left side, temperatures and shortness of breath, I was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast. I underwent treatment in hospital for several weeks for an infection in my blood and a cyst on my kidney. However, despite my symptoms being under control, I was struggling to get discharged due to the cyst being unresponsive to IV treatment, and being on a prolonged set of antibiotics.

The suggestion was then made that I would be a good candidate for the care of the Community Inreach Nursing Team, who would teach me in hospital how to administer my own antibiotics safely through my PICC line using ANTT, enabling my discharge. The team were excellent at showing me patiently how to do the technique required for the exact medication that I would be on. I was given written instructions to review first which were very clear, and was then supervised four times to ensure I was completely competent at administering the drug safely, and familiar with the equipment and different steps that needed to be carried out. My nurses; Julie, Carly and Sinead were excellent. They were extremely patient, and, despite knowing how busy they were being such a small team running this service, they never rushed me, allowing me to take my time and make sure I was doing everything correctly. 

I was provided with all the necessary medication and equipment to take home, and also provided with a pack with reminders of hand washing; things to look out for regarding side effects and infections; appointment times etc which I could review at home. This pack was also kept up to date by my nurses at each of my weekly clinics, where my PICC dressing was changed and checked, and bloods etc where taken. At this clinic, each of my nurses proved excellent at being up-to-date with all of my blood tests/scans/samples etc, which was reassuring to me to know they knew all that was going on regarding my case. I felt like they looked at my whole case rather than just my PICC line, and where proactive in helping me to be seen by doctors when it was necessary. 

I was also given mobile numbers for each nurse, over which we could easily contact each other regarding prescription/equipment needs, appointment times, and any other needs that I had. 

I really can't speak highly enough about this team. Their efficiency, organisation, kindness, friendliness, patience and level of care was the best I experienced during the course of my treatment. I really felt looked after and I would encourage this service to be well supported, so that it can be made available to all who would benefit from it.