David’s story: Recognising the need for urgent acute care

David is an energetic, friendly, 78 year old man with a smile that lights up a room. You’d never guess he’s managing two ongoing heart conditions – aortic stenosis and atrial fibrillation – and has recently recovered from acute pulmonary oedema, a condition that required a 10-day hospital stay.

The story of David’s admission and treatment begins with his wife. Jane helps David manage his conditions at home and, over time, they’ve developed their own routines and shorthand. That’s why, when David began showing symptoms of what later turned out to be pulmonary oedema, Jane knew something was wrong and acted quickly.

They called their GP for help. When David’s tests came back his GP referred him to The Wellington Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare UK’s network of acute admissions facilities. Despite the late hour of the referral, by the time David and Jane arrived at the hospital Dr Louis Koizia and the acute admission team were ready for David’s admission, having already received David’s paperwork from his GP.

A frightening time for David and Jane was made easier by the quick referral from the GP to a team of experts that were prepared for David’s arrival. Knowing Dr Koizia was expecting David, and had his medical history, made David and Jane feel like they were in safe hands.

David was immediately admitted into an acute unit isolation room for observation and space was made for Jane to stay with him. 

“There was no check-in time, and the admission was like clockwork,” David recalls, full of appreciation for the rapid referral process. “It was a great experience, considering the circumstances.”

Nurses and consultants were on hand to answer the couple’s questions. They were both kept informed every step of the way.  Jane was anxious about David’s health, but the open, transparent communication put her at ease. “The staff were very accommodating,” she recalls, “they knew what they were doing.”

The Wellington Hospital AAU began an analysis of David’s blood levels. He underwent numerous blood tests and had a daily ECG during his stay. An infectious diseases expert also ran additional examinations to identify the cause of a potential infection.

“We were so impressed with the regularity and thoroughness of the testing regime.”

David was diagnosed with pulmonary oedema with low ejection fraction. He was severely ill with the beginnings of heart failure. Following two days in the AAU where he was cared for by his team of experts, David’s condition improved, and he was transferred to a recovery ward for a further eight days.

As they had a consultant physician and geriatrician available to them 24-hours a day, dedicated to David’s care, any medical issues could be easily discussed and resolved. 

“The AAU team were incredibly respectful and responsive. Whatever we asked for, they were there.”

Both as patient and partner, David and Jane felt they were very well looked after by the staff:

“This really helped to lower our anxiety levels and allowed us to stay calm”, Jane remembers. “We felt like we weren’t invisible. We felt involved in how the treatment and recovery progressed. They paid attention to what I was saying as I can recognise David’s symptoms.” 

As he began to recover, David was slowly taken off oxygen and started to move around once he was ready.

While at The Wellington Hospital, David and Jane spoke to a consultant about how they would manage David’s condition after he was discharged. This advice was invaluable in allowing David to continue recovering and managing his condition at home. Jane recalls, “This level of discussion with the consultants about how we could manage the condition ourselves before returning to the hospital was greatly appreciated.”

“The Concierge team at HCA UK are incredibly qualified. Just knowing about this concierge service and the AAU means we can stop worrying and sleep easily. One of our concerns has been how easy it is to reach medical services when living in the countryside. Knowing that this service is easy and accessible puts us both at ease.”

Meanwhile, David is on the road to recovery:

“When praise is due, it really is due,” says David. “The staff at HCA UK made my time at The Wellington the most pleasant stay I’ve ever had in a hospital.”

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