To the NHS, Thank You.

NNUH

Sometimes you read something that you can relate to and you have to share. I wanted to do more than share on FB. I wanted to share a dear friend's very stark words as far as I could. Which is why today, I have a very improtu guest blog post. 

I have written before about having an ill child makes you realise just how lucky you really are to live in a country that has the NHS. Yes, it has it's flaws, it's over stretched but they are all doing an amazing job they don't hear this enough. Instead they get moaned at, shouted at and publicly criticised. 

From the bottom of my heart I can never thank the enough for what they have done for my family but I urge you to read on. Please do like/share and spread my friend Chantel's utterly brilliant words below.

In the last 6 days I have stepped foot through Norfolk & Norwich A&E 3 times. I’m not usually one for publicly discussing personal affairs but felt compelled to do so in this instance.

We are very lucky in this country to have 24/7 access to a free (I am aware we pay tax towards such service) NHS service.

A service that does not have enough funding to meet all of its needs, yet nurses, cleaners, doctors spend their day helping others for far less money a year than a premiere league footballer earns a week .

Yet, people still moan about the NHS 🤷‍♀

The grumpy nurse (who at the coming to the end of their 12 hour shift is only human), the receptionist who can’t use her magic powers to pluck a doctor from thin air to see to you right this second.

Now, don’t get me wrong I’ve been there. I know it’s annoying when you are in pain, your loved one is in pain and you have to wait.

When the person who you are with is the most important person in the world to you. You don’t really think about the person behind those doors having a major heart attack, the person the doctor is busy with at the moment. You just want them to be with you, helping your loved one.That makes you human too.

The first of these occasions, I visited A&E was with my 86 year old Nanny. Having fallen 4 weeks ago, let go of her pride and allowed herself to visit a GP who sent her for X- rays.

We waited 4 hours to be seen. We were forgotten about at one point for her X-ray and a kind nurse remembered us and reminded her colleagues.

She had to get changed into her gown in a storage cupboard because there was no room elsewhere. We sat in the waiting room where there wasn’t one seat spare.

We witnessed a man who’d come in because he felt dizzy, an aggressive family member who spoke to the poor reception lady like crap because she dared ask the lady how to spell her son's surname and couldn’t find him in the system and a man with what looked like a paper cut.

Yet, here I was sat with a lady who came from a generation who didn’t like to pester people, a lady who felt she didn’t want to burden the staff, sat here with a possible broken hip.

Did we complain ? Did we moan about it ? No.
When we made it through into the clinical area we saw elderly people on stretchers in the corridors because there was no space for them anywhere else .

Nurses, doctors and porters being pulled two ways to try and get people seen and prioritise the urgency of patients. All with a smile on their face.

Coming from a professional healthcare background,I could see the stress behind their grins.

I knew they were probably frustrated with the foul mouthed drunk man and his wife asking for the thousandth time when he was going to be seen, but they didn’t show it.They showed compassion, hard work and dedication.

We were finally seen to and given the medical care she needed and sent on our way. All with my Nanny forever grateful for their help .

The second time was a horrible phone call to 111 for my 1 year old son which resulted in a paramedic, ambulance and talk of the air ambulance taking him into resus.

The paramedics were so calm, collected and kind they deserve a medal.

Yes, it took 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, but they made it. I knew it wasn’t because they couldn’t be bothered , it was because it was foggy and they also were stretched 5 ways, to 5 calls, being told who to prioritise.

We ended up in resus, Children’s Emergency Department, and the Jenny Lind Ward luckily our little man was discharged the next evening.

I didn’t get offered a cup of tea (which after no sleep for 15 hours was greatly needed) until a lovely student nurse could see how much I was struggling and offered.

I was frustrated but I understood, I didn’t ask because I knew if they had the time they would. The staff were wonderful .The 2 student nurses who practised listening to his chest, well done you have to learn somehow and you got it spot on, you will make fantastic nurses.

Our third and hopefully final time was today when Millie cut her head open. I was in complete shock at the amount of blood pouring from her head and we frantically made our way to A&E.

I walked in the door and we were seen straight away. Granted it was quiet, would I have been frustrated if I had had to wait? Probably.

But again, another amazing service from the reception staff, nurses, Doctors , HCAs and most probably the cleaners cleaning up after her bloody trail.

I think what I am trying to get at is that I know it’s frustrating. I know we want to be seen staright away when we try to make a Doctors appt, when we visit the hospital , when we are worried about our loved one's health .

We need to take a step back and just think. Take a look at the bigger picture. Look around and don’t make presumptions.

That nurse taking a sip of her tea probably has let 5 go cold before managing to take just one sip. Nothing is perfect.

The the most important thing is that it is not that nurses fault . She has a family too. She feels your pain . But her hands are tied . She isn’t being cruel or favouring someone else . She is trying to do the job of 3 nurses.

There is a lot that goes on behind what you can physically see.

I know some people have had bad experiences and please don’t think I am knocking that.

Thank you to every single member of staff who has helped us and will continue to help every person who steps through those doors.

Thank you for being kind , compassionate and understanding a frantic mother's fear.

I remember all of your faces and if for some reason you are reading this and remember us. Thank you.

I know how quickly you all receive complaints but Seldom compliments .

Well done NHS staff.

You are doing an AMAZING job .

This brilliant post and amazing words are by Chantel Reynolds.