Best behaviour you've encountered on a hospital ward

[amymel2016]

Just to offer some balance this evening...

I've had some amazing care from the NHS recently. Everything from the HCA who saved me a bed next to the window after I'd had my DS to the Consultant I saw last week who put my mind at ease about my most recent illness.

I also love the dinner lady who slipped me an extra ice cream!

I have so many.
The lovely, lovely radiologist who was doing an internal scan to make sure I didn’t have polyps. She was so kind, I was gutted I didn’t catch her name or I’d have written to the trust to thank her
The ambulance crew who I called out as a half asleep student when a flatmate brought home their friend who was drifting in and out of conciousness - he was very, very drunk but also bleeding from the head. Retrospectively he was drunk and had probably been punched for not paying for a cab and we were the worst kind of people but they were calm, kind and empathetic the whole way through. They also told me I’d done the right thing calling them - means a lot when you’re a scared 18 year old.
The doctor who cut out a pre-cancerous mole then and there rather than sending me home. She literally squeezed me in at the end of her shift and was late home, and also called my flatmate to collect me as I was under a local and struggling to walk.
The oncologist who came and sat with my nan after her surgery just to check in, and then told her she never, ever wanted to see her again when she discharged her with the all clear.
The NHS is bloody brilliant. I count myself as one of many people who wouldn’t have survived childhood without it.

My experiences are in the the US, but I think kindness is worldwide

The nurse in the recovery room who hugged me when I started sobbing after coming round from a d and c for a miscarriage

The consultant who stayed after his shift ended when he heard a 4 yr old was being rushed in by ambulance with a complicated fracture of the elbow. He specialised in fixing those particular breaks, and he let her keep her precious dolly until she was under anesthetic. They kept dolly on the side so that as soon as my dd came round she had her dolly snuggled in her arms.

Whoever second guessed the ambulance control operator that told me I’d get a call back within 120 minutes after my 8 year old daughter spilled an entire newly boiled kettle over herself causing massive burn injuries . She’d decided to lift the kettle without telling anyone and it was too heavy . After I’d put the phone down and DH had her in a cold shower , I was emptying the first aid box for the burns dressings and some cling film , when the doorbell rang some 5 minutes later . DS opened it to find two paramedics on the doorstep . They were brilliant , swift and whooshed us straight into A and E , where there was staff actually waiting for her , and basically saved her from skin graft surgery. They took so much care of her .

The nurse who picked up DS2 aged 18 months in her triage room , and RAN to resus with him when he went blue and keeled over in front of her . Who , once he was back with us , grabbed hold of a bunch of tissues , gave us half , and then snuck round a corner to wipe her own eyes, before coming back to check we were okay .

The midwife who took one look at me turning up on her post labour ward absolutely grey with exhaustion and chronic anemia , and whisked DD away , and ORDERED me to drink some cocoa and go to sleep and she would watch over DD . Think that was the last 9 hours solid sleep I had .

The mw that with my first child stayed past her shift ending as i was so close to delivering , she delivered my ds then the following day came to check on me , as she knew before i got to her i didnt have the best care in the hospital

I've never had a bad experience, too many good ones to mention. But the midwife who was there when my first was born and greeted me and the door when I arrived with my second and said "I'm here all night so looks like I'll see number two into the world as well" It felt like I'd come home.
The nurses who answer the phone when I call my mother if she gets taken in these days, they know I'm far away and they are all super amazing.
If we're doing international then the SUS (Brazilian version of NHS) doctor who recently removed something (self inserted) from my son's ear, he could see he was scared so he showed him all the tools, let him look in daddy's ear with the light and let him try on his toy rabbit first, with plastic tweezers. He asked rabbit if it hurt, got a silent no and then my son was smiling and happily let him proceed. In 10 seconds the item was out.

Whoever second guessed the ambulance control operator that told me I’d get a call back within 120 minutes after my 8 year old daughter spilled an entire newly boiled kettle over herself causing massive burn injuries

Quite often it's the control operator second-guessing the system - the system will say call back in 120 minutes but I don't know any EMD who wouldn't hear what happened to your daughter and ask a clinician to take a look at it, who can then upgrade it to a quicker response.

The brilliant midwives who didn't mind me throwing the has and air back at them.after they tried to make me take it and understood my husband was terrified. The lovely midwife who ran me the warmest, deepest bath straight after giving birth and the giving me loads of toast and coffee because i hadn't eaten for 24 hours.
There was the absolutely amazing staff who cared for my dying Scottish nanna who had an infection which really messed with her mind. They just laughed when she swore at them and called them Nazis, something I know she would be mortified about had she been in the right mind. And then my cousin, not a nhs staff member, just your usual lad, but he slept on the floor after she had been transferred home to die and made sure she was ok.
Then there's my aunties and mother who all worked in care, some of the careworkers who are amazing, cleaning and caring for elderly family.
Honestly I could go on forever! We're lucky in this country to have such great care and dedicated staff

The awesome A&E and ward staff in Portsmouth QA that took care of me when I went in with a rupturing appendix. I was scared and in so much pain and they took care of me. I can’t pinpoint any specific thing or words, they just cared.

The amazing paeds consultant that took charge of resuscitation when my lo was in and very distressed. (9 months old) she ordered anyone that didn't need to be there out. Took charge and helped calm me and him down in order to get the blood drawn that was needed.

She also offered to hold him during his chest x ray for me as he was fighting me and told me to go and get a coffee. Came back and he was sat on her knee whilst she was reading him a story. She was past her shift but wanted to make sure he was OK before she left.

She came back to see us on her next shift too. Lovely woman. I'm sure she saved his life that day.

The amazing midwife with the birth of dd2, she absolutely read me like a book. She knew exactly when to support me and how, and when to leave me to it.
I had complications afterwards that I'd expected to happen. She listened to my concerns and did exactly as I had requested in my birth plan should the complications occur. Even questioning me when I went back on something I'd put in the birth plan just to check I was definitely sure.
She stayed with me during theatre long after her shift had finished, constantly supporting and speaking up for me.
She stayed with me and made sure I was settled in to the observation ward, only disappearing to make me a cup of tea.
Such a different experience to my first birth, her attitude and care made the horrible complications so much easier to cope with, will be eternally grateful to her

A midwife who stayed with me past her clocking off time when my labour went tits up. Another one who gave me some formula for my very ill baby when I was extremely ill and everyone else was stupidly still insisting I breast fed

The entire team on ward 31 in York hospital. They ALL went so far beyond what we had expected, and our expectations were high; as we'd had brilliant treatment in the chemotherapy unit. Would that I won the euromillions, they can have the lot.

All the staff on my ward who wore funny hats and gave us all a gift on Christmas Day.

Another one is the wonderful people from starlight children’s charity who came onto the ward and did a panto for the children!

HCP here. Just wanted to say thank you to the OP for starting this thread, I was despairing after reading the thread about bad experiences in the NHS!

My daughter spent several weeks in hospital in acute care with many infusion wires in arms and neck.

All the nurses (and doctors -and play ladies when she became well enough) were amazing but one young nurse once did a "spa day" for her and gave her a wonderful hair wash (wet wash!) and face massage whilst being stuck in her hospital bed, surrounded by her various pumps and screens. She made my 7yr girl feel very special indeed: She was not just a patient in a critical condition but also a normal little girl.

Love love love the NHS. They did not just save my daughter's life, they cared for her in the true meaning of the word.

When my grandad was dying one of the nurses was so kind not just to him but to us as a family. She was a huge support especially to me. On the day he died I had been planning on sittI got with him in the afternoon we had a call that he had passed. It I still wanted to go to the hospital. As I walked onto the ward she stopped what she was doing and gave me the biggest hug and told me how sorry she was. I will never forget her kindness

I’ve spent some time in hospital over the last couple of years. The drugs make sleep difficult and, last time I was in, there was a wonderful nurse called Roberto who made me cups of tea at 3am. A small thing but so much appreciated

This thread is fabulous. It should be in classics. I’m a HCP and while I love my job it is becoming increasingly hard what with all the cuts, crappy pay “rises” etc etc. It’s lovely to read all these positive stories. Let’s hope the Daily Fail picks this one up

The totally amazing jamacian nurse when I was struggling to feed the eldest. According to the feeding nurse in the ward I would never manage it as my nipples pointed out sideways (its weird but the are slightly side pointing). She took one look at me, one look at my boobs, grabbed the baby and shoved her under my arm. The speed didnt give DD any chance to complain like she had been doing for the last two days everytime we tried to latch her.

I had fantastic care from staff when I had a missed miscarriage at16 weeks. The Early Pregnancy Unit scanned me and the wonderfully compassionate Sylvia had to tell me that my baby had died. Her manner and care will never be forgotten. She also saw me sobbing in a corridor a few days later and hugged me a look me to be looked after. My fabulous midwife Lyn was also incredibly supportive and they both looked after me in subsequent happier pregnancies

Slight tangent- I know quite a few senior NHS managers and support / back office staff. The system they work in isn't perfect but in their own ways they are as committed and caring about what they do.

When I had dd I was induced and was slow to get going. When it got to 11 pm I was walking around and the registrar was joking with me that I was using the place as a hotel. By 1 am things were happening and they felt it was necessary to put a monitor on dds head and when her heart rate was dropping it was decided that I needed a caesarean and the room filled rapidly with staff.

This happened at 1 30 am and dd was born at 1 50. While I was in theatre a nurse had the job of making dh a cup of tea - he needed it as he was in shock.

The other people who were wonderful were the paramedics who came when dm had a heart attack. She had a dnr notice but they stayed with me and dm while she died. After she died the younger paramedic stayed with us and welcomed everyone at the door and made tea and coffee for everyone. The senior paramedic was filling in paperwork but was so reassuring.

The midwives who took it in turns to physically hold my 11lb newborn on my boobs for hours, 2 nights in a row as I was too sore and weak to manage.

The doctors who played Magic FM and chatted to me throughout my CS and totally calmed my nerves.

The community midwife who came to visit me on Christmas Day when I was stuck on the antenatal ward waiting around for my CS date for my transverse DD.

I was in for 4 nights being induced. I had extremely high blood pressure so me and baby had to be checked on every few hours even through the night. The nurses particularly doing night shift were fab sitting and chatting to me. The hsa who snuck me cakes, the midwife who stayed longer than her shift and didn't mind when I vommiTed on her shoes.

And when my auntie died before we could get to her the lovely nurse who told us in such a kind way.

The staff on the ward when my Dad was dying were brilliant, from the orderlies and catering team right up to the medics. Special mention for the nursing team, who showed great sensitivity and compassion for our family. I wrote to them all afterwards to express my gratitude and named as many of them as I could remember in the hopes it might help with performance-based rewards etc.

In terms of patient behaviour, when I had my first son I was placed in a 4 bed bay of mostly first time post-CS mums. The woman in the bed next to me was having a really hard time establishing breastfeeding and, after a particularly brusque midwife left her sobbing in the wee small hours, a lovely woman on CS/baby #3 got out of her bed on the other side of the ward & came and sat with her for half an hour to help her get her latch sorted. She was so kind, it was humbling and a real demonstration of sisterhood.