"My son's holiday illness"

During a recent trip "home" to my native Belfast, my 22 month old son became unwell with what transpired to be a viral wheeze. I would like to thank all staff involved in his care.

Greenway Practice at Holywood Arches were absolutely brilliant, the process of getting my son registered as a temporary resident was so slick, easing our anxieties about accessing the care my son needed.

Dr Wright who assessed him by telephone and in person was wonderful, she persevered and was understanding when my distressed son screamed all the way through the appointment. Her advice was very clear and left me in no doubt of what to do if my son didn't improve.

Unfortunately, my son did not improve and at about 10pm, my husband and I made the decision to take him to ED at the Royal (Sick Kids). I was nervous that I was perhaps overreacting, my son had only had one dose of his antibiotic and two puffs of his inhaler so the medication hadn't been given a long time to work. However, the staff at the Royal were fantastic. The department was extremely busy but they did not let the  pressure they were under come across to patients. They professionally assessed my son, kept me informed and discussed the treatment plan and next steps.

The triage nurse, Jamie was lovely and patient when my son resisted the SATS probe being attached to his toe. The doctors (Gail and Katrina, I believe) were friendly, professional and reassuring throughout. They were also firm that bringing my son in was the correct thing to do given how hard he was working to breathe on our arrival and explained that this was reflected in his low SATS score.

Katrina also issued a strong worsening statement leaving me in no doubt as to what symptoms would indicate a need to return. She emphasised that this didn't matter if these occurred two hours after leaving the dept. This really helped to alleviate my concerns about me overreacting and empowered me to trust my instincts. This is so important to parents, many of whom like me will only want to bring their children to hospital if strictly necessary.

A final thank-you must go to the lovely nurse Sonia who was sent up from theatres to help - she was friendly and patient/parent centred in her approach to my son's care. I am happy to report that with the care and treatment plan provided, my son is well on his way to a full recovery.

Apologies if any of the names above are incorrect.