Let’s praise good done by HSE staff

Sir— It’s been quite a while since I was in a hospital and I don’t think I ever even had the privilege to stay overnight in one.

But last week, after being involved in a road traffic accident, I found myself in the back of an ambulance speeding towards James Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown.

All kinds of things were going through my mind.

The usual things, like — I’ll need contact my wife; how badly injured am I; is my health insurance in place; is my life assurance in place?

And then, thanks to all the bad press the HSE and hospitals have been getting, I started to wonder what the hospital would be like.

I started shaking. Was it from my injuries or thoughts of being left unattended on a trolley or being subjected to some new airborne infectious disease while there?

The ambulance screeched to a halt. The paramedics had me in A&E and within seconds I was being attended to by a team of medics.

When my neck brace was removed, I was able to check out my surroundings.

The place was spotless and there was even a team of cleaners constantly present, ensuring it would stay that way.

There was genuinely a good atmosphere in the hospital and I can safely say that the staff were all very pleasant and good humoured. This extended to all departments and I should know as over the course of the next few days, I believe I paid a visit to them all.

So maybe the press should take a moment to praise all the good things that are happening in the HSE and our hospitals and applaud the wonderful staff that are employed there instead of focusing on all the negatives.

From the facilities team to the team of consultants and everyone else in between, they are doing great work that saves lives and should be recognised for this.

Many thanks to all the staff in our hospitals, and, in particular, James Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown. Brian Geoghegan, Ballsbridge,

Dublin 4