"I felt like a valued person"

I spent 2 nights in Ward 32 last week, where so many people were kind, thoughtful and with such good cheer.

I wanted to thank again a handful of people in particular: Diana, who appears to be some kind of efficiency dynamo disguised as a member of nursing staff, for thinking of and remembering the little things - how much I liked tea and offering to bring some just when I needed it most, and bringing me fresh gowns when I didn't think to ask.

Michelle, for thoughtful, gentle care overnight - arriving quietly and asking gently if it was OK to check my blood pressure (when anyone could have simply gone ahead), then doing so in the semi-darkness so the disturbance was minimal.

These things made me feel like a valued person and never just 'a patient'. Thoughtful care is surely particularly difficult at 3 am, and she was great. Kristina and Sam brought consistent good cheer to the ward, in particular making the patients in the other beds laugh after they'd had a bad night. It's a skill that you can't pay for, and they excelled at it while doing their day jobs as well.

Thanks also to everyone who helped care for me whose names I didn't catch, including the nurse who provided a Covid test on the bank holiday Monday prior to my arrival. You made my stay easy and a place to begin recovering rather than somewhere to endure while waiting to go home.

Thank you all.