"A great joined up service from friendly..."

What I liked

I broke and dislocated my ankle in August 2012 whilst ‘having a go’ on my son’s skateboard. I was in a public park at the time and after the emergency services had been called a paramedic was on the scene in about 10 minutes. They assessed my condition and called for an ambulance whilst giving me gas and air for the pain and putting my leg and ankle in a support device. Apparently, 50 is not the best age to start skateboarding !

I was soon in the ambulance where two friendly ladies made checks on my vital signs and then administered morphine to further reduce my discomfort. Their humour was uplifting and I’ll never forget them repeatedly asking “ how did you do it ?.. and how old are you?”.

The whole experience of getting to A&E at Derriford was incredibly professional and I felt in very safe hands.

Admission to A&E was immediate and people and machines were buzzing all around me. Everything was explained to me in ample detail before I was given something that made me drift off while my bones and ankle were manipulated back into the best possible shape. When I woke my ankle was in plaster and I was taken to x-ray.

After a short time a doctor arrived and described my injury in detail, explaining that I would need to have an operation to ensure that my joint would not give me trouble in later years. The operation could not take place for several days as the swelling resulting from the injury would have to have go down before the procedure could go ahead.

In my case, I was able to return home where I could get on with some work (office type work!) before returning to Derriford 5 days later for checks. After meeting a doctor I was admitted there and then and put on the reserve surgery list for that day.

Cont…… see 'other comments'

What could be improved

My report is 100% positive..... see 'other comments'

Anything else?

I was admitted to Shaugh Ward. Everyone was incredibly friendly and they made me feel at home quickly. Unfortunately I didn’t make surgery that first day but did on the second. Everything went very smoothly for me and I felt pretty good despite the surgery. I was able to go home the day after my operation which was brilliant.

I was in Shaugh for just 3 days but that must give a reasonable sample from which to judge the place. The atmosphere was friendly and morale buoyant at all times… everything felt right. The staff were busy but always managed to find time for even small requests/questions.

For me, the whole experience went like clockwork. At each phase of my need the appropriate staff appeared and took care of it. I received the same professional approach and courtesy right across the board, from the consultant and doctors all the way up to the people who served the meals and cleaned the ward ;-). The nursing staff and physio team were brilliant.

I didn’t get to grips with quite how the hierarchy worked because the service was delivered by a team. I’d like to thank the whole team. I’m in my recovery phase now and I’m looking forward to walking again in a few weeks! No more skateboarding for me.