"Lovely staff at St James's A&E and JAMA"

I had to go to A&E to get some tests and treatment for a flare up of a long term condition that I have.

A&E was mobbed and the hospital was full - partly the result of an acute increase in patients due to the Halloween weekend.

Despite the pressure, every member of staff I saw was not just courteous, they were actually kind. I must have dealt with about 12 staff, and everybody introduced themselves, everybody listened to me, everybody seemed genuinely caring.

As soon as I was triaged I was taken to a cubicle because my condition can deteriorate quickly. From there it was quite a long wait to get all of the treatment I needed, but that was because I was stable and there were so many patients to be seen (so I have no complaint about this at all). I felt that had I started to get worse at any time then staff would have responded quickly.

In JAMA, the bed management team were helping out the nurses. Despite the obvious pressure the atmosphere was very pleasant - all staff were smiley and said hello, even though they were busy. I had a really good chat with one of the bed managers - Darren - about care pathways and how important it is that patients speak up for what they feel is right for them. All his colleagues were excellent too, and in particular Rose, a nurse who treated me in A&E and then later in JAMA was lovely.

The Doctor (Med Reg) who saw me (Dr Martin) was fantastic. She was really reassuring and positive about how well I had managed before coming to hospital and sorted out my treatment quickly so that I was able to go home. She answered all of my questions patiently and I felt like I was in good hands.

We were never short of a cup of tea, and everybody from the triage nurse to the AP who admitted me to the porter I met was approachable. It's never nice being in hospital, especially when you're there all day, but the actual experience couldn't have been any better in terms of human contact.

Thank you all, for such good work on a crazy-busy weekend.