NHS Experiences

 Hi SwanTV Viewer

I told you about my 3 NHS appointments I had last week. So at the weekend I wore a heart monitor to see if I still neded a heart pacemaker. I returned it about 9.30 on Monday and within an hour a hospital doctor called me and asked me to come to hospital immediately and check in a A&E which I did. There were three ambulances outside with patients inside., I booked into the reception annd explained I had been called by the Cardiac Dept. I had bloods taken within about 20 minutes and then waited an hour before being taken into a side room where an ECG was carried out. The nurse explained that they were waiting for a bed but within 30 minutes I was pushed in a chair the the CCU Department and allocated a bed. 

Nurses checked me and I was given several more tests. THe Department was busy with pacemaker fittings and each day they said they would try and fit me in. I was still waiting on Friday but they had me on the list for this afternoon. The blow fell! My temperature had risen more and I had a chest infection, so no pacemaker. And of course, being Friday no surgery until Monday. I just hoped I recover sufficiently by then. I wasn't clear of this infection despite a course of antibiotics until Wednesday. I had a light lunch, expecting to be called the next day but luck was on my side and I was wheeled into the lab during the afternoon. The small operation was successful and I was kept in overnight and checked out by the doctor next day. Now I am home and apart from having to take it easy for a week, not drive for a month and not do any violent activities for 6 weeks (Oh no! I was planning bungy jumping this week!!) I hope I shall be super fit again.

Meawhile I cannot sing the praises of the staff loud enough. On the first ward there were 4 nurses to 8 patients, high dependancy but I moved on Wednesday to a regular ward and there were two nurses on duty on each shift. They were so willing and nothing is too much trouble. During the whole two weeks the nurses are constantly cheerful and working. I didn't realise, or

had forgotten just how much they do during a shift. There were several student nurses on the ward and they were all given responsibilities under watchful eyes of the nurses and instructed on the practical work managing patients. 

I was particularly impressed by 3 events. One nurse in particular spent extra time and patience with the students explaining not just how by why procedures were carried out: secondly by a doctor who also spend at least an hour on the ward just talking to undergraduate doctors, explaining and answering questions, despite obviously being on a busy schedule: and thirdly a student nurse who had been on the ward the previous day but was in a different area. She went out of here way to come into the ward and talked to each patient for at least a couple of minutes in a really personal way, showing real interest in each of us. I saw it was going the extra mile that makes a good nurse or doctor. 

Time now for the Welsh Assembly to sort out the pay disputes and a plan to make the NHS work again. Nursing was just a vocation, now it's a profession, not charity workers.

I watched The Apprentice a couple of times and feel this is sadly dated and repetitive. Same Wannabys, just more exotic destinations. But I don't think that cuts it. Same cringing

comments by the fired candidate as they leave. Same projects. Same format during the final choice of which of the three to fire. And all the candidates look like they came from the same mould. And finally we see the early morning call "The cars will be outside in 20 minutes" and they all appear impeccably dressed, hair and make-up a shade to perfect. If these are selected as the best of the bunch I hate to think what the rest are like. Time for a shake-up? What do you think?

If you want to present your own show on SwanTV let us know your idea and we'll see if it fits in with our plans. We are interested in crafts, gardening, cooking, comedy, music, sport.

Meanwhile good viewing

regards

Mike Leahy