"While this communication is to ..."

What I liked

While this communication is to make you aware of my disappointment about my father's experience in the last few days of his life in QEQM, I would like to acknowledge that the matron on the ward was exceedingly helpful in explaining the options, difficulties, and arrangements that would be needed had we taken my father back to his house to die as he had wanted.

Anything else?

My father, Dr CR Kirkpatrick died at QEQM last Saturday 6th Feb. Both my brothers, some of his friends, and I were astounded and disturbed at the lack of acknowledgment or special/extra treatment for him. He put in many long hours, days, and weeks in the almost 30 years that he worked for the NHS in the Thanet hospitals, sometimes to the detriment of family life.

When the hospital staff was on strike, he was seen sweeping wards and pushing trolleys to get patients to surgery. All this was done without a complaint! He was instrumental in getting the intensive care unit at Margate hospital established, with a plaque on the wall with his name on it to recognize this.

Yet despite all his dedication and respect that he had from his colleagues, he was just put in a regular ward. Even his title of Doctor was not even put with his name above his bed.

I would have liked to have thought that the NHS in Thanet would have looked after "their own" and treated him with the extra respect he deserved because of his service.

I would like to think that when his peers die in the coming years that their dedication to the NHS in Thanet is recognized, and they get a private side room and acknowledgment of their hard work.