"Admission to A&E"

Anything else?

My husband, Martin Player, was admitted to Torbay hospital A&E dept @5.15 on February 18th. I would like to express my gratitude for the care we both received from the receptionist who booked us in to the nursing staff in the department and the doctors who looked after us to the staff on Eau who looked after us before he was transferred to Derriford Hospital.

Everyone without exception treated us with care and consideration and are a real credit to your hospital.

Having said that I do have to mention a couple of things that I noticed during our brief stay.

As I said my husband was admitted at 5.15 with a suspected SAH but didn't see a member of the medical team until nearly 9.00. This may not seem a long time but he was offered no pain relief until I asked when he was going to be seen at about 7.20. A very helpfull healthcare assistant found out that he had been sent in to be seen by the medics but she arranged for the A&E doctors to prescribe pain relief and a CT scan.

Once the medical doctors came to see him we were rarely left alone.

I am not criticising any members of staff as I am sure the delay was due to the doctors concerned being expected to look after patients on the wards and anyone in A&E they had been asked to see and being stretched to thinly.

There was also a huge lack of beds in the dept. I saw at least 3 people admitted in the corridor on stretchers having routine bloods taken and medical histories taken. They were all asked if they minded which obviously they didn't as they were all unwell and just wanted to be seen.

Your staff are a credit to you but don't abuse their goodwill by taking them for granted, and expecting them to do more and more with less resources. They will only put up with so much. It is little wonder that more people are leaving the NHS to find alternative work. I know all hospitals have been asked to make vast and unachievable cost savings but don't make these at the expense of the service that you provide and the staff that you employ.

My husband is now back home making a slow recovery and I shall always be grateful to the staff that I encountered that day.

Yours Mrs Joanna Player.