Pensioner praises A&E care
A pensioner has praised Accident and Emergency staff after her husband was admitted with breathing difficulties.
Pamela Haddon, 86, said the care that her husband Andrew, 77, had received was ‘second to none.’
Andrew, of Dore, Sheffield, was taken by ambulance to A&E at the Northern General Hospital at about 9am in the morning after he started to find it hard to breathe and also suffering from a high temperature, high pulse rate, irregular heartbeat and confusion following a few days of being under the weather.
Pamela said: “I have never rung 999 in my life before, you try to be stoic and carry on with things, but it was evident he was very poorly and on this occasion I realised, with some encouragement from my daughter, that we needed some help.
“It was reassuring that the operator stayed on the line with me and the ambulance arrived in about ten minutes. He was seen very quickly in A&E and tested there and then, and then taken to a holding ward where we found out he had tested positive for influenza A. He also has asthma which may have exacerbated his condition.
“The atmosphere was quiet and calm and I want to pay tribute to all the staff who were wonderful - bright, smiley, kind and patient. The nurse and the young doctor who looked after him were really excellent.
“I was also given a cup of tea and a sandwich and everyone was very friendly and helpful which helped to make the experience less stressful than it might have been.”
Andrew was treated with medication and stayed on the acute medical ward overnight, before he was able to return home the next day.
Pamela said: “He is much more like himself again and walking around and breathing better. So thanks again to the fantastic care, good spirits of all those who help the NHS to continue the good work.”
Michael Harper, Chief Operating Officer, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is very kind of Mr and Mrs Haddon to praise our staff for the care they work very hard to provide.
"We have been exceptionally busy over recent weeks and the sheer demand experienced through A&E and elsewhere in the Trust means our wait times have been longer than we would like but it is very clear from Mr Haddon’s experience that our staff are still doing their very best to provide the best care possible in the circumstances.
"This remains our priority and we are continually monitoring the current situation and putting in plans to mitigate the impact where we can. We are very grateful for the support we have had from patients and the public during this time.”
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