"Outstanding treatment for a respiratory emergency"

I took myself to A&E early on a Monday morning , having got back from holiday the previous evening .

I was suffering from a high fever and shortness of breath .

I was admitted to the Acute Assessment Unit within minutes and rapidly seen by a doctor . I was receiving treatment of antibiotics and oxygen very quickly and the illness was diagnosed as Legionnaires disease within a few hours, thanks to rapid analysis by the microbiologists .

I was quickly transferred to the respiratory ward, Nightingale, where close monitoring by the ITU outreach team over the next 30 hours ensured that I was quickly transferred to ITU when my breathing worsened.

After three nights in ITU I went back to Nightingale where I continued to respond well to the antibiotics .

I was discharged after 8 days.

The speed of the clinical responses was excellent and I was kept well informed about my condition and the reasons for the clinical decisions.

Liaison between the various clinical teams was efficient and quick .

The nursing care on both Nightingale and ITU was excellent - Whipps Cross staff introduced themselves, treated me as an individual, chatted to me when they could and demonstrated professional tenderness in how they cared for me.

My only complaint would be that some agency nurses staff at night were very offhand and seemed very unsure about basic nursing tasks .