"Excellent Care and Treatment at A&E"

Yesterday, after injuring myself when I slipped at home I attended Whalsay Health Centre where nurses and locum G. P. saw me. The G. P. referred me to Gilbert Bain A&E, phoned them to advise of my injury and gave me a letter to hand in on arrival. I was asked if I needed an ambulance but this was not necessary as my wife could drive me there. A protective dressing was applied to my wound and I was also given a tetanus booster as records showed it had been a number of years since my last booster.

As soon as I reached the Gilbert Bain Hospital I handed the letter in at Reception and was directed through to A&E. Very quickly a nurse, Barbara Leslie, came to see me, directed me to a treatment room and came to take my details. In a cheerful and reassuring way she asked for details of allergies, current medication and any other health issues other than the injury I had come to have treated. Having done that she left to get a doctor to come and see me, having left the wound covering in place for the doctor to remove.

It was within a very acceptable time, less than 20 minutes, that the doctor came to see me. As my injury was not life threatening it was understandable that perhaps another patient with more serious needs, was perhaps treated before myself.

When he came to see me the doctor, Dr Kushik Lalla, introduced himself, asked me what had happened and carefully removed the dressing the staff at Whalsay Health Centre had applied. He told me my injury was quite nasty and would require stitches that he, with assistance from other staff, would be able to undertake there in the treatment room.

Having got surgical gloves on and other nursing staff on hand to assist he clearly explained what he would do having described fully the detail of my injury. At all times as he was cleaning, giving local anaesthetic, and then stitching my would he kept asking how I was and explaining, step by step, what he was about to do.

He had nursing staff administer an intravenous antibiotic through a canulla in a vein while he was stitching and when he had finished all stitching used an antibiotic and disinfectant cream to minimise risk of infection in the wound area explaining that I was to take a supply home and use over the next four days. Dr Lalla also gave me a supply of antibiotic tablets to take at home and said I should come back to see him on Friday. He explained clearly the extent of my injury and best case and worst case scenarios that might result in need for further surgery. I can recall one of the team, perhaps another doctor who had come to see my unusual injury and Dr Lalla’s skilful work treating it saying something like ‘.. that’s now looking very good’, giving praise to how well he had treated my injury.

Throughout the time I was being cared for all staff worked together as a great team working together very well, I was always the centre of attention and was very reassured by all explanation of what was happening. My wife was present and she too felt I could not have wished for better treatment.

I would like to sincerely thank Dr Lalla and the whole nursing team who made my visit to A&E so positive an experience.