"Continuity of care and support through COVID"

I don't need to provide an explanation as to how COVID impacted on the delivery of health and social care. But in my case I was overwhelmed with fear, my illness and treatment impacts significantly on my immune response, increasing vulnerability to illness.  Although I generally try to maintain good health and wellbeing, but this was extraordinary times.  I receive biologic infusions every 8 weeks and whilst the risks of further other illnesses increases the gains to my health outweigh the risks.  It is for this reason I cannot express enough my sincere gratitude for my health provision continuing throughout a scary and uncertain time for everyone.  The infusion team, along with my Gastroenterology department in the City Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast  ensured I continued my treatment, with no delays, throughout he pandemic, with the professional, compassionate service I have always received.  

I also had to undergo major surgery in May 2020, at the start of the pandemic.  The surgeon and his team in the Royal Victoria Hospital went above and beyond to ensure I had this much needed, life changing surgery.  My care was exceptional, the surgeons and all of the team were not under the same capacity pressures in the ward, resulting in everyone being able to provide the dedicated care, which I am sure, influenced their decision to train in their professions.

I cannot thank enough Dr  Johnston and Mr Tan in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and will be forever grateful for the congruent, person centred treatment I am continually provided by different departments.  But their compassion, dedication, professionalism and ability to ensure the wellbeing of their patients even due a time of national crisis, should be commended and highlighted as examples of good practice in Health and Social Care. 

I thank them and their teams from the bottom of my heart.