LETTER: Most grateful for the care

Over the past few months there have been numerous references in the media, both local and national, to the poor performance of South East Coast Ambulance Service in meeting their targets. My experience is greatly to the contrary.

On September 6 when returning home from Chichester I fell in Westgate. Two pedestrians came immediately to my assistance quickly followed by two passing van drivers. They helped me to my feet and sat me on a nearby low wall, one van driver gave me a towel to mop up the blood streaming from my face and hands while the other rang for an ambulance.

The ambulance arrived in around fifteen minutes having travelled from its base at Tangmere and the paramedic immediately attended to the injuries to my face and hands, all the time asking various questions about my well-being. He then suggested that he take me to St Richard’s Hospital to receive an x-ray to confirm his impression that my injuries were not serious. I replied that I would prefer to be taken home, some 300 yards away, where he could continue his work in cleaning me up.

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This he did, both very professionally and with great care and compassion. After this he then said he would like to contact a colleague, a paramedic practitioner, to ask him to undertake any further treatment.

He arrived some 20 minutes after receiving the call, staying with me to confirm that stitches or sutures were not required, although there was a need for a cut to one finger to be glued.

He then left me with a list of things to look for if I should suffer any signs of headaches, confusion, visual disturbance etc, later in the evening.

During their time with me, both paramedics took great care in reassuring my wife that all would be well and before leaving cleared away any mess that was made. They were totally professional in all that they did.

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I am most grateful to them and to others who helped me so much and am pleased to say that the cuts and scars are now almost completely gone and the possible broken nose has not materialised.

Thank you SECAmb.