For the staff of the Medical High Dependency Unit the patient’s emotional well being, and the support they can give their loved ones, is also an important part of their work.  For Mrs Evelyn Gray and her husband, Tony, the opening of the Medical High Dependency Unit (MHDU) in February last year could not have been timelier.

Evelyn, who is normally called Lyn, was admitted via her GP to St. Peter’s Hospital in early March, having developedcellulitis in her leg.  Her serious condition meant that she needed treatment in the intensive care unit (ITU),   and once there was sufficient improvement instead of being transferred to an ordinary medical ward she was transferred to the recently opened MHDU.

Said Lyn: “Although I was still unconscious for much of the time I know they were really supportive to my husband and my family.  It was really worse for Tony as he knew how ill I was and, of course, I wasn’t aware of very much at that time.

“The nursing staff managed to achieve the fine balance between the efficiency needed and the sensitivity and caring side of their work, and considering what they had to deal with they did a marvellous job!”

Lyn went on to have additional specialist treatment at St. Thomas’ Hospital before returning to St. Peter’s Hospital and finally going home after almost three months.  She continued to gain strength during the summer and the couple celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary in September 2006.   Ashford residents since 1966, the couple live inCambridge Road.

A member of Ashford Congregational Church, Lyn, 72, added: “Through the prayers of the fellowship of the church, the love and encouragement of my husband and family and the standard of medical care and attention that I have received I feel better than I have for some time, which is a blessing.”

The unit also sees its fair share of younger patients.  Recently biology student Zhineh Askarpour of The Royal Holloway College, University of London, was admitted after her sugar level went out of control.  Zhineh, 19, of Strodes Street,Egham, has been an insulin dependent diabetic since she was 22 months old. She felt ill one weekend, came into A&E, was stabilised, and was admitted to the medical HDU.

Said Zhineh: “I felt really very safe and I knew I was being well looked after.  It was great because the staff were explaining why they were doing what they were doing.  They were very helpful and it was nice to know that there was someone double-checking.

“When it was time to leave I felt very confident.  I had seen a specialist diabetic nurse and I’d been given follow-up numbers and if anything happened I knew there were people I could call after hours.”

Another patient, Woking man David Smith,72, of Graylands, Horsell Park, spent five days in Medical HDU after being admitted with acute renal failure to A&E via his GP.

He said: “You have to be ill to be in there – and I thought I was going to go!   I won’t forget it! The nurses are hand-picked and they were brilliant. The nursing was almost one-to-one and they work so hard.  As I improved I was able to watch them working with the ventilated patients and I really came to appreciate what they did”.

When he improved sufficiently he was moved to a general medical ward before going home.

Staines sales representative Donald Brenner,55, was resuscitated three times between falling into the River Thames and reaching the Medical HDU.  Donald had been spending August Bank Holiday Monday with his wife on his boat when he fell into the water between Sunbury Lock and the Weir pub at Walton.

A rescuer pulled him out and resuscitated him, as did the paramedics en route to hospital where he was resuscitated again by St. Peter’s staff.

Said Donald: “I think I swallowed some water but I was unconscious for most of the time.  I woke up in A&E and they were concerned because of the water and possible infection and I was admitted to the medical high dependency unit on antibiotic drips, being monitored. “It was a difficult time for my wife and family and the staff were very caring and very, very good.  The ward was clean, the food was good, and if you have to be in hospital then it was a good place to be.”

The Medical High Dependency Unit team know that it is inevitable that some patient’s lives are drawing to a close. The son of a patient in his mid-80’s who sadly died said: "During his last days and hours, even though my father was enduring a painful, distressing, and exhausting experience, he continued to be interested in the people around him, and, most amazingly, managed to maintain his distinctive sense of gentle and teasing humour. 

“This clearly touched the Medical HDU team and without exception, the nursing staff took an instant shine to him. We heard later that, even on their days off, his nurses had been phoning in to colleagues to check on him, and my mother and I knew that this level of care and attention was far beyond the call of duty. We’ll never forget those who did their utmost to make my father's last days as comfortable as possible, and in recognition of this I made a point of especially mentioning the HDU team in the eulogy I wrote for his funeral."

Said Sister-in-Charge of the Medical High Dependency Unit Dawn Reeves-Turner: “ We all do all we can for our dying patients and their loved ones.  We get a lot of heartening messages afterwards and we know that the support that we give to people when they are dying is appreciated.  If you make place a nice and caring environment it doesn’t make the situation any better, but………”