"My first day care stay"

I have an incurable acute autoimmune disease the treatment that is being medically supervised by my excellent Consultant Neurologist. In early December 2015, I had a consultation with them to review the progress that I had made in managing the disease and they advised me that I should have a further course of intravenous immunoglobulin treatment and suggested that the next course of treatment could be carried out in the Day Care Unit and that this would be arranged as a matter of urgency.

Just before Christmas I was telephoned by the duty Ward Sister in the Ambulatory Care Unit (the day care centre) to sort out when I could come in for the infusion. They were very careful to explain what was involved and told me what I needed to have with me and that the treatment should take no longer than four days. The very next day I had a call confirming the precise date and agreeing with me the best time to come in. The way that this was handled gave me great confidence in the professional way in which I was to be looked after.

When I arrived at the Ambulatory Care Unit some ten minutes ahead of my appointment time, a very friendly and efficient receptionist who quickly processed me. I had just sat down when the nurse who I had spoken to before Christmas introduced themself and took me into the ward itself and introduced me to the same Sister who I had spoken to before. They then thoroughly explained to me everything that was going to be carried out.

I cannot speak highly enough of the compassion, professionalism and care shown by the nursing staff, they also showed a very human side with a good line of humour leaving me the patient very relaxed and confident that I was going to be very well looked after. The nurses in the team were meticulous in monitoring my condition throughout my stay.

The ward Sister was proactive in managing my treatment, just before my leaving the ward after my first infusion; the staff slightly changed the infusion quantities saving a day.

The rooms were clean and clearly well maintained despite the high volume of walk in patients that were using the facilities. I had a good light lunch, which had been carefully matched to my diabetes and the twenty odd tablets and injection that In need to do. Everything fitted around my needs with plenty of water, tea and coffee on offer.

As a retired professional and a former reviewer (examiner) of other professionals, I am well able to comment one particular element of my stay. This was the training of nursing students attached to the unit. Given the demands made on the Sisters running the ward, the time and care they took to run through with the student nurse what was being done, pointing out both good and bad practise and why things were done in a particular way was very impressive, the mentoring done was of the very highest standard.

I hope that this gives any other patient that is to undergo treatment in the Ambulatory care Unit the confidence that they will be well looked after.