"A&E treatment for an eye injury"

I referred to NHS Choices on line as I had an eye injury and it had affected my vision. The advice was to go to your local Accident and Emergency Department. This was University Hospital of North Staffordshire Trust.

Within 15 minutes of arriving I was seen by the Triage Nurse and after waiting an hour I was called into the treatment suite and seen by a Doctor.

The building and facilities were excellent, the Doctor introduced himself by name and asked sensible questions and gave me a thorough examination. They had a special room for eye examinations where the Doctor checked my sight.

I was worried as sight is such a precious sense. The Doctor explained that they had an Ophthalmologist on call, Dr Brown and he would be coming in to look at my eye. After about 20 minutes Dr Brown examined me and explaining everything before he did it, he anaesthetised my eye and removed a foreign object from the centre of the cornea. Immediately my sight improved.

I was given ointment and told how to apply it. I was given the phone number of the emergency eye clinic, in case I had problems, My phone number was taken so that a member of the team could make a follow up call to check I was doing fine.

I felt really reassured and privileged to have received prompt expert treatment. I stopped worrying and felt proud that my local hospital just 10 minutes walk away was such a success. Thanks to all the staff for their commitment and dedication on an Easter Monday Bank Holiday evening.