"A&E and follow up visit"

Due to the over-enthusiasm of a trainee GP, I found myself the day before Xmas Eve heading to A&E at the Wansbeck Hospital under suspicion of being in the middle of a heart event...Needless to say two days before Xmas and in the middle of the flu season this was not a visit I was anticipating with glee, having heard stories of the horrors of hospitals these days. But I was wrong. After a five minute wait, I was led into a room - with a door, bed, two chairs all very clean and shiny. Had heart and blood pressure immediately checked by a very pleasant nurse and then was handed over to an absolutely star junior doctor who was both polite and witty. Blood tests, I was told, would take an hour to arrive back leading to a diagnosis, so I sat reading in my room (and eating choccy bars and sipping tea brought from the cafe by my faithful husband). During the wait, a couple of emergencies kicked off with other patients there and I was amazed at how the staff speedily and calmly dealt with the situation, then just carried on where they had left off. Sure enough just over 1 hour later the tests arrived back and I was allowed to go home -all in all around two hours after I arrived, with much apologies for the wait (!) from the junior doctor, who assured me someone would ring and invite me back for further checks within two weeks. I did get the call within two weeks and at the follow up appointment I was in and out within ten minutes after a meeting with a very pleasant senior cardiac nurse. All this over Xmas and New Year - the treatment was absolutely fantastic. Well done to all of the staff at Wansbeck. Don't believe everything you read and hear. People tend only to comment on bad experiences, but I'm sure lots of other people have had a brilliant service at the Wansbeck Hospital, just as I did. Take a bow Wansbeck staff , you are absolute stars!