"My mum received first class emergency care"

My mum is in her 90s, and had to be taken from our local community hospital at about 1am in the morning to the Borders General Hospital, Melrose.

A night nurse (Heather) called BECS (Borders Emergency Care Service) and us at midnight and two lovely Advanced Nurse Practitioners examined Mum and felt an x-ray was necessary to rule out a fractured neck of femur.

An ambulance and two paramedics got Mum safely into the ED. We followed behind in the car. Mum was examined in the ED by Dr Marshall, who deserves a very special mention. He was really exceptional and had the most wonderful bedside manner, not only caring for mum but also for us too. We stayed with mum throughout the night and all the staff who cared for Mum were wonderful. 

When the day staff came on duty, a young student nurse (Hettie) came in and gave Mum such a lovely warm hug and kind words. Hettie knew Mum from working in the community hospital a few weeks prior and it really was heartwarming for us all, after such a long, tiring and worrying night. It was actually quite a special moment and it would be nice for Hettie (a student nurse) to know just how much that meant to us all and especially to my Mum (and me) as it had been quite the night for us all!

Thankfully no fracture and an ambulance was booked to take Mum back to the community hospital. Mum went back around 10.30am  with two paramedics and she said they were both very nice and the one who travelled with her in the back, chatted to her all the way. Mum could tell me all about their conversation when I called later in the day and I would really appreciate the paramedic knowing just how invaluable his company was for Mum.

Her ward has been closed now for 9 days due to a Covid outbreak (albeit mum doesn't have Covid) and she, like all the other older people in there have been starved of family, visitors and company. It is really heartbreaking for everyone right now, so I would also like him to know, just how much she enjoyed his company and chat on the journey back and just how much it therefore meant to us too. 

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get the names of every member of staff we encountered during the night but would be very grateful if you could pass on our sincere thanks and appreciation to them all, for the first class care that Mum received. They were all terrific, so kind to mum and that meant everything to us, her family. 

Thank you all for restoring our faith in the crumbling NHS and thank you all for being there when we really need you. Never forget what an amazing job you do, how much we all need and value all that you do and how glad we are that you are there for us all.