"A great example of teamwork in action"

I was admitted to Ward 54 at the Western recently with a collapsed lung.  I was released a week later but unfortunately the lung collapsed again and I was readmitted to ward 54 for another 13 days.  

The quality of care I received was beyond any expectations.  The doctors and nurses were amazing.  Their exceptional knowledge and professionalism was complemented with a caring “can do” attitude.  Nothing was ever a problem. All patients seemed to be treated equally, sensitively and with empathy.

The sense of teamwork came shining through.  The nurses always seemed prepared to train and mentor the junior and student nurses and everyone seemed keen to learn from each other.  It’s not just the medical staff that made this ward special.  The care assistants, cleaning staff, and catering staff were an important part of this exceptional team and went about their tasks with a sense of urgency, friendliness and attention to detail.

As a patient, I often had low or painful moments.  All the staff were bright and cheerful - and this was so uplifting for me.  It is easy to forget that staff often have their own personal issues to deal with outside of work but those at Ward 54 were able to park these at the door and give 100% to the job and to their patients.  The only word to describe this is “humbling”.

Nobody wants to be ill but I feel exceptionally lucky that I found myself in Ward 54.  I spent many years of my business career building high performing teams in different parts of the world and I immediately saw all the key components of  professionalism, care, compassion and high performance among the Ward 54 team.  They are very good at what they do and, I believe, capable of being truly exceptional in the years ahead.

It would be difficult to single out any individuals as there are simply too many worthy of mention. Suffice to say that I will take with me lifelong memories of the many staff who are living examples of what “goodness” really means.

From a medical perspective I am forever indebted to Pleural Nurse Specialist, Lynne - quite simply a remarkable human being.

A huge thanks to everyone connected with Ward 54.  A great example of teamwork in action and a shining example of the NHS at its best.

Thank you to all!