"A+E - End of Life Care"

My stepmother was admitted to A&E late on a Friday night in January 2015. The care she received there was outstanding, we were amazed by how caring all the staff were. They kept us informed about everything that was going on and went out of their way to make sure everyone was comfortable and understood what was happening. She was then admitted to the Clinical Decisions Unit - into a side room which was perfect as she was obviously not going to live very long. The staff on the CDU were all equally caring and kind, the doctors explained what they were doing and discussed with us the options available. We felt that we could not have received better care anywhere and we are very grateful for everything that was done for our loved one. She died in the early hours of the next day. All her family and close friends had the opportunity to be with her and say their goodbyes. I work in a hospice and did not expect the care in a large hospital to come anywhere near what could be offered in a hospice: what a relief it was to realise the staff at Darent Valley understood that an elderly lady with multiple conditions was very close to the end and they did everything they could to ensure she was comfortable and had a peaceful ending. With all the current crises in the NHS, we are very grateful that the staff at Darent Valley pulled out all the stops to care for our family member and we thank everybody involved from the bottom of our hearts.