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Care Opinion

Fractured Ankle in Storm Eunice

Posted By kcramb622

"Fractured Ankle in Storm Eunice"

About: NHS 24 Ninewells Hospital / Accident & Emergency Scottish Ambulance Service / Emergency Ambulance St Margaret's Hospital / Acute Medical University Hospital Monklands / Trauma & orthopaedics University Hospital Wishaw / Trauma & orthopaedics

(as the patient),

I fell in the snow 3 weeks ago during Storm Eunice and would like to share the exceptional service I received. 

My fall occurred at the peak of the storm when no vehicles could access the main road, or indeed parts of the motorway. The people first to respond were Dr MacKenzie from the local hospital in Auchterarder, St Margaret's with his staff: a medical student and nurse. They walked with backpacks to see me and administered comfort and pain relief while we waiting 2 hours for the ambulance to battle through the snow. Their care was much needed and reassuring. 

The ambulance arrived and I was then met by more outstanding NHS workers. I have unfortunately forgotten their names but they were wonderful in their speed, efficiency and reassurance as they took me to Dundee Ninewells hospital.

At Ninewells the service was understandably slow at A&E but I could see all staff were exceptionally busy. When I was seen - and the timeline now begins to blur - from the nurses, doctors, x-ray staff and plaster cast staff were all friendly, sympathetic and caring.

My GP asked me to contact NHS24 as my follow on treatment would need to be in North Lanarkshire where I live and the person I spoke with was first class in her guidance. Monklands hospital fracture clinic has been very supportive and most recently the staff at Wishaw General where I had an operation to fit a metal plate in my ankle were caring, swift and friendly. The surgeon and anaesthetist were kind and the nurse who processed me as well as Vicky who helped me post-operation were wonderful. 

The only area that has let me down in this process has been the 'inconvenience' of having fallen out of the area I live in. After attending A&E on the Friday at Ninewells I was then told that I had to attend A&E again at Monklands on the Monday. It seems ludicrous that I had to go to A&E again yet this was what I was told to do. The staff at A&E in Monklands were also bewildered at this.

Other than this anomaly which seems more an administrative issue, the staff I have encountered and mentioned above have been exceptional and worthy of praise.

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Responses

Response from Shona Lawrence, Clinical Governance Lead, Nursing and Care, NHS 24 2 years ago
Shona Lawrence
Clinical Governance Lead, Nursing and Care,
NHS 24

Submitted on 14/03/2022 at 09:24
Published on Care Opinion at 09:24

picture of Shona Lawrence

Dear kcramb622

Thank you for sharing your experience on Care Opinion. It's good of you to take the time and effort to do this and I'm sure all staff involved will be delighted with your complimentary feedback.

The weather was bad a few weeks ago with one storm after the other. I'm sorry to learn you fell in the snow and sustained an injury which sounds extremely painful. The Dr and staff who attended to you with their backpacks sound fantastic. I'm so pleased they were able to give you pain relief until the ambulance arrived. It sounds as though the ambulance crew did a great job too at putting you at ease.

I see you had contact with NHS 24 and I'm glad we were able to help. It would be good to share your story with the staff member involved in your call to 111, therefore, when you feel up to it, it would be great to hear further from you. Our staff don't often get to hear the whole patient journey so sharing a story such as yours is very powerful. You can contact me on 07814 299944 or email Patient.Experience@nhs24.scot.nhs.uk

All staff who cared for you sound great, so well done to them for leaving you with such a positive impression.

Thanks again and best wishes for a full and speedy recovery. Hopefully now that spring is around the corner we can look forward to better weather!

Take care meantime.

Kind regards

Shona

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Response from Marjorie McGinty, Head of Improvement, Quality Directorate, NHS Lanarkshire 2 years ago
Marjorie McGinty
Head of Improvement, Quality Directorate,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 15/03/2022 at 14:02
Published on Care Opinion at 14:02

picture of Marjorie McGinty

Dear kcramb622

Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your recent experience of services at University Hospital Monklands and University Hospital Wishaw.

I am sorry to hear of your accident: this must have been a painful and worrying time for you.

I am pleased to hear that the care you received at the fracture clinic in Monklands and the in patient ward at Wishaw was caring and supportive. I will be delighted to pass on your feedback to the staff in these areas.

I hope that you are recovering well at home.

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Response from Andrew Kinnon, ED, NHS Tayside 2 years ago
Andrew Kinnon
ED,
NHS Tayside

Submitted on 15/03/2022 at 17:24
Published on Care Opinion at 21:58

Dear kcramb622

Thank-you very much for taking the time to share your recent patient experience; aspects of which involved Ninewells Emergency Department. I'm delighted to hear you are on the road to recovery. I am pleased that you found our staff friendly and efficient. Thank-you for being understanding about the pressures that we faced that day.

I will look into the direct referral pathway from Ninewells Emergency Department to Monklands fracture clinic and see if this can be improved upon for the future.

kind regards

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Response from Lesley Kay, Patient Experience Team Leader, Corporate Affairs, Scottish Ambulance Service 2 years ago
Lesley Kay
Patient Experience Team Leader, Corporate Affairs,
Scottish Ambulance Service

Submitted on 16/03/2022 at 09:06
Published on Care Opinion at 09:06

Dear kcramb622

Thank you for taking the time to post your feedback here on Careopinion. I am really sorry to hear about your fall during the storm, the weather then was really dreadful and this would not have helped the situation at all.

I am so delighted to read about the care given by those who came to your aid in the first instance and also everyone involved thereafter, from our crew and those of the wider NHS. It sounds like everyone was really caring and worked hard to provide you wonderful support and care. I'm sure this was hugely reassuring during the difficult situation.

If you would like me to pass on your kind words to our crew, I can certainly arrange this for you. If you would like this to happen, please may I ask you contact our team at sas.feedback@nhs.scot with your name and location of where we attended to you.

I hope you are on the road to recovery and feeling much better

Take care and all the best

Lesley

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Response from Shona Lawrence, Clinical Governance Lead, Nursing and Care, NHS 24 2 years ago
Shona Lawrence
Clinical Governance Lead, Nursing and Care,
NHS 24

Submitted on 25/03/2022 at 10:47
Published on Care Opinion at 10:47

picture of Shona Lawrence

Hi K

Thank you so much for getting in touch with me directly. It was a pleasure to hear from you. We have been able to identify and staff involved in your call to NHS 24 and have shared your complimentary feedback with them.

It's fantastic for our staff to receive such heartfelt thanks, so we really do appreciate you making the effort to get in touch.

I hope your recovery is going well and you have been able to enjoy the recent Spring sunshine which makes a quite a pleasant change from Storm Eunice!

Take care meantime.

Shona

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