The Royal Free Hospital

• UNFORTUNATELY in the early hours of December 28 I became extremely unwell and couldn’t breathe.

My family called an ambulance, which arrived in under 10 minutes, and I was taken to the Royal Free Hospital and seen immediately before being rushed to resuscitation.

The next 24 hours are all very vague and then I woke up in the intensive care unit on ventilation with 24-hour nursing care. Among other things I had strep A, meaning that I had to be kept in isolation.

All I can say is that I couldn’t have received better care had I been in a private hospital. The nurses were amazing.

They were obviously very short of staff with one male nurse in charge trying to cover the ward so that other nurses got a break, as well as dealing with grieving relatives and personnel problems.

I cannot thank them all enough and cannot imagine why they stay for such a low wage, bad conditions and little thanks, when they could earn so much more in many other countries or doing less qualified jobs in this country.

Many people are using the A&E for things that are not accidents and emergencies and this in itself will help to destroy the National Health Service.

One man I saw on TV was complaining that he had waited so long for an ambulance that he had decided to get a cab and then had to wait for five hours.

This man was now outside the hospital complaining. Was it really necessary for him to call the ambulance or even be at A&E?

To all of the nurses, doctors, porters, kitchen staff, cleaners etc, I would like to say, thank you very much.

My life was saved by your professionalism and excellent care and most of us will never realise what we have until it no longer exists.

Well done the National Health Service. Wow, you’re amazing.

G LONDON
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