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Care Opinion

My Heart Attack

Posted By Yorkshire Scot

"My Heart Attack"

About: Scottish Ambulance Service / Emergency Ambulance University Hospital Ayr / Cardiology University Hospital Hairmyres / Cardiology

(as the patient),

November 2015, my heart attack started in the early hours of the morning, 999, the ambulance from Girvan came in less than twenty minutes! What a great team, very calm and reassuring, ECG showed my left ventricle blocked, no mobile signal to send results, one operator outside to find a signal while the other prepared me for transport. On the road, send ECG results to base, ask for permission to use clot busting drug, I don't think it worked, I will remember that journey to Hairmyres Hospital for ever! I do remember the reassurance and friendly banter from the ambulance team. The Cath Lab was 'freezing' the staff calm, friendly and very efficient, half an hour later I am in the recovery ward with a stent in my main artery and damage to my left ventricle.

The care here could not be better, any need cared for, nothing too much trouble. Transfer to Ayr was the day of massive storms there was doubt an ambulance would be free, arrive Ayr in the evening, short recovery stay then home, with a recommendation that more stents may be needed if meds didn't work.

Many changes of meds to reduce my adverse reactions, my energy levels and breathlessness getting worse over time and an angiogram at Ayr showed I had to return to Hairmyres ice box, two hours and three stents later, recovery overnight in the ward. I cannot praise these Doctors, staff and nurses enough for making my experience the best it could be.

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Responses

Response from Anne Leitch, Chief of Nursing Services, University Hospital Wishaw, NHS Lanarkshire 7 years ago
Anne Leitch
Chief of Nursing Services, University Hospital Wishaw,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 11/10/2016 at 15:02
Published on Care Opinion at 16:05

picture of Anne Leitch

Dear Yorkshire Scot

Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience of the care you received within the Cardiac Catheterisation Lab (CCL) at Hairmyres Hospital.

I appreciate this must have been a very traumatic experience for you and I am delighted that you found the staff to be efficient, calm and reassuring.

I hope that you are making good progress and recovering well.

I noted within your feedback you had made reference to the cold temperature that you experienced within the department. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, whilst I can’t offer an absolute solution to this I can explain that the temperature within this environment is guided by manufactures recommendations. This is due to the specialist equipment necessary for cardiac catheterisation. Additional blankets are available and apologies on this occasion if these were not offered. I will ensure this is fed back to the team.

Thank you once again for taking the time to provide us with this overall positive experience I am sure the teams will be delighted to receive this feedback.

Kind Regards

Anne Leitch

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Response from Sharon Hammell, Head of Corporate Affairs and Engagement, Scottish Ambulance Service 7 years ago
Sharon Hammell
Head of Corporate Affairs and Engagement,
Scottish Ambulance Service

I am responsible for the development and implementation of the Scottish Ambulance Service's communications strategy: this includes staff communications as well as external audiences, including PFPI and media management.

Submitted on 11/10/2016 at 17:28
Published on Care Opinion on 12/10/2016 at 11:32

Dear Yorkshire Scot

I hope you are keeping well after your surgery.

Thanks for sharing your care experience from the Scottish Ambulance Service and Hairmyres Hospital. As technology becomes more and more advanced, ambulance crews are able to carry out tests such as an ECG and to share the results with other healthcare professionals, like the doctors at the Cath Lab, to help them decide the next steps to take in order to provide the best care for the patient.

A bit of reassurance and friendly banter always helps, too, when patients are anxious.

I'll share your feedback with the staff at Girvan station. They will be delighted to know that you are doing well and that they played a part in assessing what was making you unwell, and making sure you received the treatment you needed.

Best wishes

Sharon

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Update posted by Yorkshire Scot (the patient)

This is great, to know people are listening!

A Heart attack is not a good experience, the recovery time is better for knowing what is going on. I feel much better after these last three stents, just wish I had had it done sooner!

I had been going to Cardiac Rehabilitation at Girvan, this was stopped as I felt worse I am now about to start again, Cardiac Rehab is a great help, to be able to ring for help and advice is very reassuring and the team is full of enthusiasm, I am looking forward to starting again!

The lighthearted attitude of everyone throughout has been great and given me the strength to keep going! Thanks to all. It is so important from first contact with the 999 Operator right through Hospital to Rehab! Just need to build my strength back now!!

Response from Eunice Goodwin, Patient Feedback Manager for NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Quality Improvement and Governance Team, NHS Ayrshire and Arran 7 years ago
Eunice Goodwin
Patient Feedback Manager for NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Quality Improvement and Governance Team,
NHS Ayrshire and Arran

I respond initially to most of the posts and ensure they are passed to the appropriate team whether they are compliments, observations or grumbles. It is important to make sure all issues are addressed and I try to encourage that to happen for all the posts as required.

Submitted on 13/10/2016 at 09:54
Published on Care Opinion at 10:06

picture of Eunice Goodwin

Dear Yorkshire Scot,

My response is at the Coo's tails (as my gran would say), so I would like to reiterate everything already said above. It is wonderful to hear that your experience from your heart attack to rehab. and recovery has been so good.. I will share this with the Ayr team and Cardiac Rehab team so they too appreciate how you feel about your care and thank you so much for taking the time to tell us. I wish you continued recovery to full health.

Best wishes,

Eunice

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