Letters

Published: 13/12/2001, Volume III, No. 5785 Page 23

On a recent visit to Exeter, I happened to greet an elderly neighbour of my parents. She is 85 and lives alone. It turned out that she had just fallen in her garden and presented to me a hopelessly mangled wrist that she thought was broken. She was in a lot of pain.

I offered to take her to the accident and emergency department at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, mentally clearing any plans for the next six hours.

As it turned out, this was exactly the time it took from her being seen by the triage nurse in the A&E walk-in centre to being admitted to a ward. Had she been willing to spend a night in hospital, an hour could have been knocked off.

In the event, a possible skull fracture was discovered, so a stay was inevitable.

During the visit, the treatment she received from all the staff was of the highest quality. The service was thoroughly professional, patient, efficient, friendly and caring at all times.

It was very impressive and worthy of the utmost praise.

Simon Bowker National financial management trainee Bristol