"Why Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital is Second to None."

This is not about our tragic circumstance - Mum had a stroke. She was admitted by ambulance to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. From the the first call to us that Mum needed a procedure. Later next call letting us know how Mum was and to advise us best to go in the next day. In the morning we called the hospital to find mum and see how she was. From the receptionist  to the ICU we were never made to feel we were not important, it was all done in a most professional manner.

At the ICU unit we met the first of the extraordinary staff at Mum's bedside. The nurse was freshening Mum up, wiping her with a flannel and cleaning her teeth, which there wasn’t a lot of Mum there, but you could see she was enjoying it. As they worked on Mum they would talk to her and us. As time when on they would ask us if we had any questions, but over the whole time we only had small questions, because the staff had answered our questions before we had even thought of them. As I’ve  said - Second to None.

I’d like to explain two small things that will show why I have taken the time and effort to give my thanks to the staff and the hospital. 

The main nurse looking after Mum, came back with a piece of sticky tape and holding up a safety pin saying I've looked everywhere for this and proceeded to wrapped the tape to the feeding tube in Mum's nose and pinned it to Mum's nightie, so that will help stop any pulling and irritation. There’s Dad sitting with his wife of 68 years never been apart (horrible). We decided on going for a coffee, we asked directions how to get to the canteen the nurse gave us the directions and asked for my phone number, because she had called a counsellor to see us. So when the counsellor arrived in 10 to 20 minutes the nurse could call us, we waited about 15 minutes when we were greeted by a counsellor.

Being honest we didn’t even know how much we needed a counsellor, until she explained to us all what we needed to know and need to do. All done with utmost of professionalism. We went for a coffee, we got to the end of a corridor, checking with each other do we go left or right, at that moment a nurse went past with her hair and shoes covered and seemed to have an urgency making her way to somewhere. She stopped, asked if we were ok, confirmed the way to go and she was on her way. I turned to Dad he said, what happened there? We got helped, we didn’t even have to ask, we were in shock. We got to the canteen, two girls serving personalities plus, not over the top, just bright and helpful.

The next day Mum was stable, so she was being moved to ward U51. We had it explained what was to happen and that Holly would meet us there. We were sent off with Mum to ward U51. When we arrived Holly introduced herself and explained everything. Holly talked to us and Mum, using her name as all the other staff had done. On our way home that night, Dad and I talked. The only way I could explain is, on my travels I have stayed in a lot of 5 star hotels, in my opinion Sir Charles Gardener Hospital is a 7 if not more, because of the helpfulness, understanding, caring for the patient and family and extraordinary work of the ICU Staff. But it doesn’t stop there, it is throughout the hospital. From the the receptionists, to the canteen and especially ICU unit.

So to all the staff a big thank you from Dad and myself, also Mum. I feel this starts at the top and makes it way to the wonderful people working the wards and all the other areas of the hospital. An extra special thank you to the three main nurses in the ICU and one doctor, Lauren, Kelsey, Renée (sorry names were bit of a blur) and from U51, Holly.

Summing up our story Sir Charles Gardener Hospital is Second to None.

For Mum and us it went down hill when she was transferred to another hospital, which I will share in a second story.