IT WAS heart-warming to read about the recovery of Caroline Kimberling (The Press, November 4), following her collapse in the Vue Cinema.
The story has a particular poignancy as I spent several days in an adjacent bed to Caroline in the York Hospital coronary care unit. As described in your feature, Caroline’s condition was complex and I witnessed at first hand the professionalism of the CCU staff who cared for her.
My own experience, following a sudden and unexpected heart attack, echoes the words of Caroline’s husband.
The standard of care I received, from the initial response of my GP, the humour and reassurance of paramedics, the speed of reaction in A&E, the amazing coronary care nurses and the skill of the consultants who undertook my subsequent procedure was nothing short of miraculous.
Above everything else, what shone through was the dedication, warmth and compassion with which all of the hospital personnel undertook their work.
My wife is American and deplores the US healthcare system, where the standard of care received is directly linked to an ability to pay. In the NHS we have a British institution and system that should be recognised for what it is. It is something to be valued, treasured and properly resourced.
My new personal motto: “Life and the NHS – both worth fighting for”.
Mike Turner, Lang Road, Bishopthorpe, York.
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