"Started me on the road to giving me my life..."

I was involved in a serious RTA on the M61 in early September, in which I nearly died at the scene of the accident several times. I was taken to Salford Royal because of the trauma unit there. I remember very little of the trauma A+E time, due to the pain and drugs, but from what I do remember I was kept reassured and informed. I remember them trying to contact my wife and keeping me updated, and then bringing me a phone and holding it to my face when they got hold of her. My main point of feedback however has to be the HDU team. Words alone cannot express the sheer composition of thanks, gratitude and indebtedness I feel towards these people. Their professionalism is second to none and they made me feel safe. It's a shame that writers are not allowed to name specific people in this feedback, for I wish that I could; though that doesn't detract from the overall service offered by everyone more generally. When in HDU, I was (as one might imagine) critically ill and incapable of doing anything; I was frightened and in terrific pain, I felt alone and entirely helpless, without dignity and truly, truly beaten. To say that the care to move me beyond this level of suffering was deliberate, would be to detract from the point that the sheer dedication, compassion, commitment and empathy is so deeply intrinsic that these nurses, support staff and doctors go above and beyond without thought, deliberation nor hesitation. They are, truly, the most genuinely brilliant people, exemplifying the personification of the very best of humanity. Resulting from their hard yet effortless work, I was consistently closely involved with my treatment and my pain was brought under control within a day or so. I was treated with such respect, that I lost my sense of indignity and helplessness, even accepting help with toileting needs became something that I was no longer embarrassed to do. As the days went on and I became slightly more able I was - to say the least - defiant about my limitations and the extent to which I could push my body; the support staff and nurses took a genuine interest and consideration of my wishes and respectfully created a balance between my wish to push myself and my medical limits. It is hard to verbally qualify my experience, and I could certainly go on and on with numerous examples of expert medical care and technical, professional competency. I would however end this review on a more personal element; that the staff are wonderful people. After a critical event where I almost died and felt truly broken, these people made me feel cared for, comfortable and most importantly - safe. From keeping me informed, to chatting about dreadful TV shows; from responding to all my needs to making me smile with something of a sarcastic cynical wit - I felt in good hands and hopeful. The emergency services saved my life, but these people showed me the road to start getting my life back and for that I shall be eternally grateful and truly indebted.