A letter of thanks
A letter to the Chief Executive of the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation to express thanks to the Doctors and Nursing Staff at Poole Hospital for the care and the way engaged with our Father and us as a family.
Many thanks to the Doctors and Nursing Staff at Poole Hospital
Our family would like to express our thanks for the way the Doctors and Nursing staff dealt with my father and us a family over the last 6 to 7 months.
The way the everybody dealt with us collectively, particularly during some very difficult times was a very good example of Patient Engagement, I don’t know if there is an award for good patient engagement but collectively and individually they would be worthy of such an award.
After a series of tests our father was diagnosed with Cutaneous Lymphoma in summer of 2021, the diagnosis was given by Dr’s Stephens and Bayne and is there no cure, the discussions was about managing our fathers quality of life. The news was obviously not good for my father or us to hear but I also know it wouldn’t have been easy for anybody to deliver that sort of news to a patient or their family. However the way Dr’s Stephens and Bayne approached telling us this news, the way they engaged with us, the tone of their language, their approach and their honesty should be held up as a good example of how patient engagement should be.
Due to the unusual way our father’s Cutaneous Lymphoma presented itself, the clinical team weren’t sure of the best approach to take going forward. It was refreshing to have those open and honest discussions about the options and they would also they need to go away and consult with others within the region or even further afield.
Between Christmas and New Year our father developed an infection, which wasn’t responding to the antibiotics. The decision was taken he should be admitted to Poole hospital, Kimmeridge Ward and put on an IV drip. After a few days the infection still wasn’t clearly up and to understand what else was going on he had a CT scan. The CT scan revealed the Cutaneous Lymphoma had spread to other part of his body and he only had a short period of time left. Our father had consistently expressed a desire to be moved back to the residential care home as he didn’t want to die in hospital.
Again, there were some very difficult discussions and decision to make and we have to say the way the doctors on the ward, we only know them as Sally and Wendy, were brilliant in the way they engaged with us, approached telling us the news, the tone of their language, their approach and their honesty. Another good example of how patient engagement should be. The decision was taken our father should remain on the ward, as the risk of moving him was too great and we as a family should come down to be with him in his final hours.
We have to say the ward staff were absolutely brilliant, they managed to put our father in a side ward, which would enable us to be with him. The way they looked after our father and us in his final hours on the 13th January 2202 was really good and done with a great deal of care and sensitivity.
I hope as the Chief Executive will actually make the time and the physical effort to go to Dr Stephens, Dr Bayne, Wendy and Sally and the nursing staff on Kimmeridge Ward, either individually or collectively to express our thanks for the way the engaged with my father and us as family. We know how much it would be appreciated and what means to people in any organisation when the Chief Executive takes time and makes the effort to talk to people and pass on positive feedback.
It would also mean a great deal to our father and to us.
Thank you