"Treatment of a complex proximal radial fracture"

I was taken to A & E at Barnstaple after suffering the above injury at my home in in Holsworthy and being x-rayed at Stratton Community Hospital.

The A & E experience is never a pleasant and often a protracted one, but there was aduquate attention and pain control, until,after a couple of hours of assessment, I was transferred to Copener ward,

From there on, I can only describe my care and treatment as exemplary.

I had the good fortune to arrive at a time when my part of the ward was reasonably quiet, but this fact should not be allowed to detract from my admiration for thestandard of professionalism and consideration exhibited by the nursing staff and the surgical team.

I was given a very clear and coherent explanation of the procedure that had been planned for me and, after the operation, of the much more prolonged and complicated procedure that had to be undertaken onc it became apparentthat my elbow couldn't be fixed within the original plan,

Throughout the remainder of my stay (anothr four days) I was treated with all the consideration, respect and compassion that anyone could hope to receive; medication and especially pain control were discussed and, as far as possible, tailored to my particular needs and the surgeons kept me fully informed on my condition and how I needed to behave to assist in my own recovery.

in the five weeks or so since my discharge from the hospital, I have had three fracture clinic appointments which were as quickly expidited and informative as one could hope for.

On two of these occasions, I was able to discuss progress with the surgeon who had operated on me.

This has been my fourth hospitalisation for a fracture, since 1991, and I can say with absolute honesty, that I have never been firtunate enough to receive such excellent treatment at all levels.

I deliberately delayed this review until I had a clear idea of the outcome and prognosis, but my opinion remains the same - I don't believe I could have been better served wherever I had been taken with this injury.

Mike Smith-Rawnsley