Care Opinion

A letter of thanks for the staff on Ward B2

Posted By Simfr5

"A letter of thanks for the staff on Ward B2"

About: Bassetlaw Hospital / Ward B2

(as a staff member),

I would like to share with you a letter of thanks that was given to me at the begining of the week from a patient who was being discharged from the ward. The patient was happy for this to be shared.

"To all of the staff who work on Ward B2

I wanted to write this to you all and know that you not only read the words but take them with you. I also want you to know that as I write each word, I am getting more and more well.

I joined you on 9th November 2011 as a very frightened and confused person. On that morning, I was taken away from the class I was teaching and from a school where I had worked at for almost fifteen years.

I tried to force myself to believe that when I arrived here I was okay albeit a little tired and perhaps a bit stressed.

My family and friends urged me to write a daily diary as a means of communication and so they could understand my thoughts a bit more clearly. An excerpt from that diary dated Tuesday 29th November 2011 said ‘I have been here for twenty days, they have been twenty of the most frightening and deeply disturbing days of my life. I have cried more tears, screamed more screams, laughed more insanely and felt more hopeless and alone that I probably have during my entire existence on this planet’.

I realise now that through the absolute safety, brilliant care and endless compassion you gave me I was able to break down totally.

At one point, I thought that I had ‘lost my mind’. I now know that each of you took turns to previously hold a little piece of it for me and then slowly handed it back to me bit by bit.

My once fragmented mind has come together and although fragile will be okay. I know I still have a long way to go to recovery fully but my recovery until now has been due to you all.

I can not ever put in to words the thanks and appreciation I feel. I would like to thank you all but would like to write a few words to some of you in particular.

Cheryl – you are one of the most compassionate human beings I have ever had the honour to meet, thank you.

Danielle – you have helped me more than you will probably ever know, thank you.

Lisa – you lit up my days here and really made me remember how to truly laugh, thank you.

Dawn – I always heard you before you arrived! You really grounded me, you are so real and you helped me re-learn how to live, thank you.

Chris – you gave such brilliant advice and would always listen without making a judgement, thank you.

Stacey – (whom I will remember as Tigger!) Stay being the amazing nurse that you are, you touch people’s lives everyday.

Simon – what a ward manager!

And lastly my lovely Jill – well I thank god everyday for you Jill.

When I am fully recovery I will put back in to the Mental Health Service all I had once been given.

Until then, have a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for the years ahead.

With much love and respect."

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Responses

Response from Julie Grant, Head of Communications, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 13 years ago
Julie Grant
Head of Communications,
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Submitted on 23/12/2011 at 14:27
Published on Care Opinion at 14:35

picture of Julie Grant

What a marvellous letter to receive. I hope you continue to be well and in time can get more involved in giving something back. Merry Christmas to you and yours - and to all the staff too.

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Response from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 5 years ago
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Submitted on 14/03/2019 at 22:37
Published on Care Opinion on 15/03/2019 at 12:07

As your letter was kindly posted on Care Opinion on your behalf, we're not sure if you will see this but we had to share this with you, or with anyone who happens across your incredible story.

Our hope is that you do know your story is here, and that you proudly check in on it now and again to remind yourself of how far you are from those dark days of feeling 'hopeless and alone'.

It would be hard for us to describe the extent to which your story has been shared. It has been viewed on Care Opinion more than 2,000 times, and what a perfect place for your story to live, but this is only the half of it.

For many years now, your story has been shared with every single person that comes to work for Nottinghamshire Healthcare. It is part of the very first presentation they see in their induction, which is delivered by our team. We recruit around 90 people every month so by now thousands of our staff have heard your words and they have formed their very first impressions of the kind of care we expect them to provide.

Your story is also part of presentations we deliver to staff once in their roles, as a perfect reminder of what we're all aiming for.

Fairly regularly we are asked to present at events all over the country, and it is very often the case that your story comes with us and is shared with a whole new audience of NHS staff (and others) who go back to their organisations with your beautiful words reverberating in their minds.

Every time we read your story aloud, to an individual or a crowd, it is met with silence. It is a real privilege for us to observe how your story resonates with people. It so perfectly recounts those 'most frightening and deeply disturbing days' that people are living through in our services every day. Your story inspires staff to follow in the footsteps of the people you mention, to do their best for people at a time when (as the NHS constitution describes it) 'care and compassion are what matter most'.

This week, we had one of our favourite lines from your story hand painted on the wall of our headquarters (just as you walk through reception). Below is a photo. If ever you can pop in to see it, you are very welcome and we hope you will agree with us that it is stunning.

Image title

We hope you continued in your recovery well beyond the time you spent with us and we are so grateful that you took the time to write to our staff to share your thanks and describe how much of an impact they'd had in your life.

Equally, you had a big impact on us.

With our sincere best wishes,

The Involvement, Experience and Volunteering Team (on behalf of many more people here at Nottinghamshire Healthcare)

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