The NHS Rocks

Yesterday afternoon, I truly thought my number was up.

I was just getting ready to pick the Offspring up from school, when bang, my heart clicked into over-drive. Serious over-drive.

Over the years, I’ve had a lot of experience of this and with a lot of hard work, I’ve taught myself not to panic and to reach for the pills. Only this time, due to the fact that I haven’t had problems for a while, no pills.

Oh.

With a classmate’s parent collecting my daughter from school, I crawled on my hands and knees, very slowly to bed. Hoping it would all go away, if I didn’t move.

Sadly it didn’t and five hours later, I was in the back of an ambulance on my way to A&E.

And, speaking from direct personal experience, I can truly say that from the moment my husband dialled 999 to the moment we left the A&E department in the early hours of this morning, the NHS delivers a healthcare service, second to none.

After calling emergency services a paramedic arrived as if dropped by helicopter. A friendly, efficient ambulance crew arrived promptly, called A&E en-route to the hospital and, on arrival, I was wheeled straight into A&E and seen immediately.

I was treated with care, kindness and professionalism, by everyone I came into contact with. And they were all genuinely cheerful and friendly.

From the nursing assistant who searched the hospital for peppermint tea, to the nurse who held my hand while my heart was re-booted, to the doctors who answered all my questions and all the other staff, what can I say except a very inadequate “Thank you”?

Oh. And you probably saved my life.