Hovering between Heaven and Hell

Sir, – Since moving to this area nearly 20 years ago, I have been impressed by Dr Gray’s Hospital. Initially from a volunteer’s point of view, when as a member of the WRVS I helped with both the trolley and in the hospital shop for nearly 15 years, I was always impressed by the whole ambience of the hospital.

However, in 2002 I was able to see the working of the hospital from a patient’s point of view when I started to have problems with my heart. No words can adequately describe the kindness, consideration and thoughtfulness I encountered each time I was rushed into our local hospital before finally having a heart bypass.

In August last year I was again rushed into hospital by ambulance when I appeared to be bleeding to death. The treatment I received was exceptional. Never for one minute while lying feeling very weak in that hospital bed did I lie in a blood-stained bed, or with blood on my nightdress. The ‘angels’ in Dr Gray’s would gently and kindly change the bedding and wash me so that I always felt like a respectable human being again; never did they complain or show anything but kindness to me.

You can therefore imagine my shock when, three days before Christmas, while travelling on the sleeper between London Euston and Inverness, I became so sick that when the train had to stop at Crewe because of a fire further up the line, I was transferred to Crewe Hospital.

The staff on the railway were wonderful, displaying great kindness to me at all times, and when it looked as if all passengers were going to have to be transferred to coaches for the rest of our journey, they found a doctor on the train. After examining me, he explained that I had lost all my fluids and needed to be put on a saline drip immediately. An ambulance was called and I was transferred to Crewe Hospital.

It was about 12.30am when I was taken into hospital, where I was amazed how cold it was. As they pushed me through the hospital doors, it was like being pushed into a refrigerator; Crewe hospital has air conditioning. Later, a request for a drink of water brought iced water; they have a new machine in Crewe Hospital which produces instant iced water. I was already feeling cold, and would have much preferred hot water.

The nurses did what they had to do, put a drip in my arm, but offered neither comfort nor kindness to me. I was just a body, an object. I was put into a ward which had about six other beds, all empty, and I was left until the next morning when, about 11am, a nurse came and took the drip out. She informed me very coldly that it was now finished and I could go home.

When I explained that I had to get to Inverness, she just replied with no feeling in her voice: "Well, you’ll just have to catch a train, then."

The coldness in her voice betrayed her absolute lack of interest in me, a woman in her 79th year who had been unable to keep any food or medicine down for more than 48 hours.

As cheerfully as I could, I mentioned that the sleeper was the only through train to Inverness via Crewe, and it wouldn’t arrive in Crewe until about midnight. With horror in her voice, she replied: "You can’t stay here, we’re expecting to be busy."

I used all the tact and diplomacy I was able to muster so I could use the phone on her desk to book a ticket on a train to Inverness with a change in Edinburgh, and also requested assistance from the railway staff. The nurse begrudgingly did help me order a taxi, but I was left to collect and carry my luggage, barely able to walk, let alone drag a case, and a bag with presents from my family in Oxford and Switzerland.

I had to find my way out of the hospital; no one lifted a hand to assist me out of that cold, cold place where even the nurses have no heart or tender feelings.

I eventually found the taxi, driven by a person with a heart who, when we arrived at Crewe station, informed the staff I was there. They came out with a wheelchair and a blanket offering so much kindness and consideration. "You look frozen, lass; let’s get you into the warm where we can sort out your ticket and look after you until your train comes."

I could have wept at the sudden kindness, which continued all the way to Inverness, with railway staff showing nothing but thoughtfulness; I was met by railway staff at Edinburgh with a wheelchair and taken to a warm office to wait before being transferred to the Inverness train when it arrived. Throughout the journey I was offered hot drinks, which were very welcome, and food, which unfortunately I could not eat.

Ironically, on Christmas Eve I was rushed to hospital, but this time to Dr Gray’s where once again the ‘Angels’ were waiting. So kind, so thoughtful and so very understanding.

The difference between the treatment received by the hospital staff in Crewe and the railway staff cannot be over-emphasised; it was really like hovering between Heaven and Hell. – Yours etc,