"The ophthalmology crew: you are simply amazing!"

With the recent post-Christmas upsurge of negative reporting with regards to the "breakdown" of the NHS service, I think this is a particularly important and appropriate time to state how amazing the Department of Ophthalmology staff were during my visit just after Christmas. My sister and I took my Mum there after she was referred by her GP. Not only was the consultant utterly professional and obviously staggeringly knowledgeable, but he was so caring and humane in the way he conducted his treatment. He was able to patiently explain in simplistic terms, the proposed course of treatment and why it was necessary and then he executed his mission with due care, precision and compassion. He was quite simply brilliant. He was so reassuring, ensuring that my Mum, a lady of advanced age understood that the serious pain she was experiencing would soon diminish and that the remnants of her vision would soon return. I would like to also praise the fabulously committed nursing staff, supporting the consultant. At no time were my Mum, Sister or I ever made to feel as if we were an inconvenience despite our poor jokes (!) and the fact that we were there all day as a result of my Mum's condition. They made us all feel so comfortable and were filled with so much positivity and empathy. Most importantly, the Ophthalmology Crew didn’t just simply treat my Mum's eye, they treated her as a whole, as a person, with kindness, patience, warmth, humour and a great sense of humanity. Since that initial post-Christmas visit, we have returned to the Ophthalmology Department several times and my Mum has been treated similarly well on all occasions. My Mum's consultant, like the previous consultant has been tremendous. His undoubted abilities and calm certitude provides strength and hope to us. Each time we visit, he and the Ophthalmology nursing team only reinforce our initial perception: that nothing is ever too much trouble for them and that expertise, professionalism, attention to detail, empathy and warmth are qualities that they routinely serve on a daily basis and are not exclusively reserved for only those who can afford to pay… Thank God for that! Thank you so much, The Ophthalmology Crew and keep up the amazing work! Your value to your community is utterly priceless.