"A&E and AMU well done"

My dad was rushed in by the community McMillan team via ambulance in liaison with the hospital acute oncology service on Friday afternoon 31st Jan 2014 with severe pain with potentially a very serious condition. The whole service was exceptional and we were met in a spotless A&E by the specialist oncology nurse who had already spoken to the community nurse, providing a seamless service. Within an hour my dad had been given a cocktail of drugs and was comfortable and asleep. We are talking about the lightest sleeper I have ever known who can't sleep if there is nothing except the sound of his own breathing.... we were in A&E! He was then into the MR scanner and onto a ward within 4 1/2 hours of coming through the A&E doors. The A&E team were brilliant,the nurses put a very anxious and uncomfortable patient at ease and the specialist was amazing getting on top of my dad's pain. The doctor was great too. He was very thorough and professional whilst also being engaging with my dad, a factor often missed by A&E..... trust me... I know this well! The service didn't stop there though. We arrived on an immaculate AMU to smiles, a caring and friendly professional team with plenty of friendly banter, again putting our poor traumatised dad very much at ease. When we arrived to collect him the following day there was an error with the prescription, which could have caused a problem had we not been on the ball, however this was rectified immediately by the doctors and the on call pharmacist was brought in to dispense the correct medication. After an acceptable wait, considering it was Saturday afternoon, with many apologies, we were on our way feeling very happy with the whole experience. This is the NHS at its best and one we should all be proud of. The only criticism I could give would be the cleanliness of the porter's shoes, I suspect he works in A&E predominantly as we saw him backwards and forwards to AMU with trolleys over the 24hrs. His shoes were filthy and really not acceptable for a hospital considering the risk of infection. Surely the uniform policy should stipulate a basic standard. On the whole well done ROH.... We will certainly not look forward to our next visit but maybe will feel reassured knowing the level of care is exceptional. Please ensure the feedback is delivered to the relevant team members. The public are often quick to criticize the NHS and positive experiences are rarely acknowledged, these guys deserve a pat on the back and the Crispy Creme I will be taking them!