(The patient’s name has been abbreviated to ‘M’ for privacy purposes. All details have been used with his absolute permission. The following has been paraphrased from a telephone conversation, however, contains direct quotes.)
Last week, we had the honour of speaking to M who visited the Sussex Beacon as an inpatient earlier this year. M has since returned to his home in East Sussex, however reached out to us for a chance for others living with HIV to hear his story and what the Sussex Beacon now means for him.
M was admitted to the Sussex Beacon in February 2019, a direct transfer from Chichester Hospital. He was not expecting to be an inpatient in our hospital but had a diverse range of medical complications that required specialist treatment; osteoporosis, arthritis, dehydration, muscle wastage and low potassium were amongst the urgencies. M contracted HIV after a blood fault in a hospital in his early years and has consequently visited several in-patient units for HIV since. However, he described the treatment, attentiveness and medical care received at the Sussex Beacon to be incomparable – head and shoulders above any other treatment he had received.
M recalled how 2 members of staff helped him to his room to unpack and change clothes (after a recent hip operation, he was having difficulty walking due to recovery). A pleasant surprise of instant medical attention helped reassure M that he would be looked after, expressing the genuine kindness and caring attitude of each member of staff he encountered, no matter which department they worked.
There were details that stood out, such as the chef regularly making checks to see what sort of food suitable and preferred once M was able to return to eating solids, the unwavering punctuality of medicinal administration four times each day and help with daily activities that he was struggling to see through alone. A relaxed and safe atmosphere is how M described the interaction he saw not only between staff and patient, but between staff and fellow employee – expressing how each individual went out of their way for their patients and co-workers to become a credit to their profession.
(End of paraphrase)
It has been incredibly moving for us at the Sussex Beacon to receive not only such a wonderful review of our staff and facilities, but to have had a personal story shared with us. We are committed to giving each patient outstanding care and attention to exceed the expectations of the treatment they require.
Special thanks to M for sharing his amazing words and story for us to give others a chance to see what medical and personal care can be like whilst treating HIV.
If you are seeking more information regarding our inpatient services and referrals, please click here.
