"Hospital Visit for Quinsy Throat"

The events I am about to narrate took place one week ago. At first, I believed I was suffering from a simple cold, which would improve on its own with pharmacy painkillers, bedrest and fluids.

However, after 5 days of my symptoms not improving, my throat had nearly swelled shut, I was retching up thick, viscous yellow and brown phlegm, could not swallow anything, was becoming severely dehydrated and hungry and constipated and struggling to breathe. I was rushed to A&E at Perth Royal Infirmary, where I had to wait nearly three hours to be seen early in the morning. This is my only complaint; it would have been helpful if I had been seen before the various sprains and cuts in the waiting room which were clearly not as urgent as my distress.

However, when seen, my illness was diagnosed at once by the staff who were informative, kind and efficient at all times. After an interval of perhaps, half an hour, I was given an IV line, injected with steroids to reduce the swelling and penicillin to tackle the infection and a saline drip to rehydrate me. I began to feel better within an hour, before the ambulance which had been ordered for me even arrived.

The ambulance crew were helpful and informative and rushed me to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee within half an hour. After paperwork, etc. was done, I was able to get to bed with a second saline drip then slept for about four hours, by which point I had sufficiently recovered to be able to eat a full breakfast.

My recovery consisted of staying in bed at Ninewells for one day, while my vital signs were monitored and the infection checked to ensure it was coming under control. Although dated, the wards, facilities, toilets, bed linen, etc. were spotlessly clean. The food, though basic, was well cooked, tasty and nutritious. The staff were informative, positive and hardworking. All their hard work paid off so quickly that I was discharged by the next evening, with just a simple aftercare plan of medication to restore me to full health.

I understand that due to staffing problems and backlogs, it is inevitable that delays will occur in the NHS. However, that is a minor complaint compared to the praise that I wish to heap upon a well trained, hard working and humanitarian workforce. I could not have asked for kinder or better care and I was as moved by its successful delivery as I was by the speed of my recovery.