"Surgical Emergency Assessment Unit"

Our teenage son was admitted to A and E, after being transferred by ambulance, when he started to pass blood at home. The three paramedics which treated him at home were so reassuring and managed to keep him calm and kept us fully informed of what actions they were taking.

On arrival at hospital, there was a short wait to be taken into A and E, as it was a very busy Friday evening/Saturday morning, just before Christmas. However, the paramedics stayed with us and were able to help him, as he was still losing blood. This made such a difference rather than being left by ourselves.

The Staff Nurse in A and E was wonderful and again, explained everything to us. After a few hours in A and E, our son's condition was not improving, so he was admitted to SEAU. He was given his own room which meant that we could stay with him.

We were even allowed to sleep there, after a kind donation had meant that a Z-bed had been purchased for the ward. I can't stress what a difference this made. Our son was taking a lot of pain relief and was confused about what was happening, so he was relieved that we were there to help him make joint decisions about his treatment.

Another positive thing is that the same staff members were on duty over the few days he was there, so he received the continuation of care and built up a rapport with them. Before every procedure, the risks were fully explained to us and everyone spent time to ensure we understood what was involved. Whilst the patient obviously has to come first, we, as parents were treated with respect and compassion. The fact that staff made time to sit with us and give us reassurance was so kind, especially at the time when our son was having the procedures done. Whilst he was undergoing his endoscopies, we were invited to sit in the nearest waiting area, which meant we could walk down next to his bed. Again, he said this made a big difference.

As parents who have been lucky enough not to previously need the NHS's emergency services for our children, it was quite daunting to find ourselves in that situation for the first time and every single member of staff gave 100% commitment throughout his stay.

We will be eternally grateful for the care that he received and can't thank the staff enough for their professional and compassionate care. Keep doing the amazing job that you do.