"My stay at Norfolk and Norwich made me proud"

I was up from London visiting a friend in Norwich for the day when I started to experience stomach pains. These soon developed into quite chronic pains and after four hours were getting so bad I could hardly stand upright.

My friend drove me to the A&E at the NNUH and I was admitted to the Easton Ward as an emergency patient. The pain was by now excruciating and I was neither coherent or very compliant.

The next three days were a bit of a blur as I was under sedation for much of the time. After a number of xrays, scans and examinations it was concluded I had a case of Acute Pancreatitis and was treated accordingly. From memory I remember the care and attention of the very professional staff who looked after me at this stage.

I was subsequently transferred to Dilham Ward to continue my recovery and saw at close range what a caring, professional and committed staff team were on hand to look after me. This was evident from cleaners through to surgeons without exception. It made me immensely proud of our NHS and the staff who make it what it is - the best health care programme in the world.

The staff made me feel a person as well as a patient - an important factor when you are at a low ebb. I am extremely grateful to all of the staff involved in aiding my recovery - nothing was ever too much trouble and their attitude and approach were exemplary.