Dear Galway First,
Let me preface this by saying I hate hospitals! But this summer due to differing circumstances I have had to bring friends and family on numerous occasions and yes I dreaded each visit.
But on each occasion I have been totally impressed by the care and attention that has been shown to the patient and indeed the courtesy afforded to me as I sought assistance and information.
I have accompanied patients first thing in the morning and late at night in an ambulance and brought a friend by car to UHG and on all occasions A&E was busy.
On all occasions the patient was seen quickly by medics and in the more serious cases spent little time waiting before being taken to a cubicle for closer examination. Without a doubt all the hospital staff from clerical staff to ambulance staff, porters, nurses, doctors etc are under enormous pressure.
They go from patient to patient and it amazes me how they maintain a clear head in dealing with the variety of circumstances they encounter.
In particular I was extremely grateful for the consideration afforded to my mother who I escorted by ambulance shortly after 8am one morning in June. She was wheeled in to Casualty, details swiftly taken and after a short delay brought to a cubicle.
There she was seen by a doctor, with nurses in and out regularly. Anything she needed such as an extra blanket was no trouble to the staff and after a Cat-scan and numerous tests she was allowed some tea and toast. In her distressed state I will never forget her enquiring from the doctor about the said tea and toast and had to smirk to myself of how high it moved on his priorities.
Eventually he informed me that there was a bed for her in Merlin Park and I was so relieved that she was in the right place to look after her. We were transported by ambulance and my mother was immediately transferred to a bed in Unit 4. I could not speak highly enough of the care and attention that she received during her stay at Merlin Park.
The night staff, day staff, kitchen staff, occupational therapist and medical team took exceptional care of her during a very stressful period. Merlin Park in the midst of all its greenery is therapeutic in itself but I would like to put on record my thanks and gratefulness to everybody at Unit 4 there and at Casualty in UCHG for their care and courtesy to my mother these past few weeks.
She was never rushed and has returned home confident and capable of resuming her normal life thanks to you all. In this day and age it was refreshing to see so many perform with such grace under pressure.
Yours etc,
Mike Geraghty,
24 Upper Newcastle, Galway.
