"I remain overwhelmed by the care she received at Good Hope. "

My 90 year old mother had a fall earlier in the week in her bedroom and injured her side. The GP was called who gave her a thorough examination and said there were no bones broken or fractured. She was told to take paracetamol and codeine to deal with the pain.

However, despite the medication, the pain was not controlled and she became quite distressed, saying she felt sick and consequently wasn't eating. Yesterday I took her to Good Hope A&E as I was worried that the doctor's diagnosis was wrong.

After a wait of 35 minutes, she was seen by a consultant who after hearing the details of the fall, took her to the X-ray department where her shoulder and chest were x-rayed. After studying the x-rays, he decided to do a CT scan as there was something showing up on the x-ray that he was unsure about. We were then moved from the minor injuries unit to the major injuries unit, where my mother had an ECG, blood pressure and temperature taken and several blood tests. The care she was shown was absolutely amazing. Everyone concerned in her care was friendly but professional.

The conclusion was that she had broken seven ribs and the fall had also caused a hernia and although there is no treatment for her injuries, I remain overwhelmed by the care she received at Good Hope. She couldn't have received better or more thorough treatment even as a private patient.