On Friday, July 19 I received a telephone call from my GP telling me to go immediately to A&E at Watford General Hospital. A blood test I had had at the surgery had come back ‘abnormal’. The doctor advised me that I might be kept in overnight! You can imagine my shock at this.

A friend took me and I walked into A&E at 5.15pm. I was seen fairly quickly and given an ECG as well as a blood test. But it took several hours for the results to come back which, I’m pleased to say, were fine. But I was kept in overnight for further observation.

The attention I received from the staff was second to none. The ward was small, just six women and the nurses were constantly checking on us. One nurse even found something to eat for me at around 11pm, as I had not eaten since lunch at about 1.30pm.

I was finally allowed home on Saturday afternoon and a lovely nurse, Eleanor, insisted on coming with me to reception, from where I was being collected.

Early on Sunday evening I had a telephone call from ‘Simon’ who was, I think, the charge nurse on the ward. He had admitted me onto the ward and he could not have been kinder.

Why had he called me? He just wanted to know how I was feeling! I said I was fine, but I was also fine when I went in!

Over the years I have been in private hospitals but the care in those could not match the care I received at Watford.

Susan Field

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