A MATRON WITH VERY SPECIAL PATIENTS
MOST OF THE ROYALS HAVE BEEN TREATED AT THE KING EDWARD VII HOSPITAL. CAROLINE CASSELS, MATRON FOR 30 YEARS, TELLS ANNA MOORE ABOUT THE ETIQUETTE OF NURSING HER VIP PATIENTS
LOOKING AFTER THE ROYAL FAMILY
TUCKED IN QUIET MARYLEBONE STREETS, THE KING EDWARD VII HOSPITAL IS THE ROYAL FAMILY’S HOSPITAL OF CHOICE. THE QUEEN MOTHER, THE QUEEN, HER HUSBAND PRINCE PHILIP AND PRINCE CHARLES HAVE ALL BEEN PATIENTS. MORE RECENTLY, THE HOSPITAL MADE HEADLINES WHEN THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WAS TREATED HERE FOR SEVERE MORNING SICKNESS, LEADING TO THE TRAGIC SUICIDE OF NURSE JACINTHA SALDANHA, WHO HAD BEEN TAKEN IN BY A HOAX PHONE CALL FROM A RADIO SHOW. CAROLINE CASSELS STEERED THE HOSPITAL THROUGH ALL OF THIS – JOINING AS A NURSE IN 1984 AND BECOMING MATRON TEN YEARS LATER. TODAY CAROLINE, WHO LIVES CLOSE TO THE HOSPITAL, TELLS US WHAT LIFE IS LIKE INSIDE THE MOST EXCLUSIVE PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY…
WHEN I STARTED AT THE KING EDWARD VII, IT FELT LIKE ANOTHER PLANET. I’D ONLY BEEN A NURSE FOR TWO YEARS, SO AT FIRST, I THOUGHT, “THIS PLACE IS GOING TO KILL ME!”
IT WAS VERY FORMAL. NO FIRST NAMES WERE USED ANYWHERE – IT WAS ALL “MISS SO-AND-SO” AND “MR SO-AND-SO” – AND IF MATRON WALKED INTO THE ROOM, YOU STOOD UP. WE WORE STARCHED COLLARS AND COULD HARDLY MOVE OUR HEADS. THEY GAVE US TERRIBLE RASHES AROUND THE NECK! EVERY MORNING, WE HAD TO SIT IN MATRON’S OFFICE WITH NO NOTES AND TELL HER ABOUT EVERY SINGLE PATIENT – AGE, DIAGNOSIS, HOW THEY WERE. THERE WAS “REST TIME” EVERY AFTERNOON – PATIENTS WERE PUT TO BED AND CURTAINS WERE DRAWN. BUT SOON, I BEGAN TO LOVE IT AND NEVER LOOKED BACK.
THE HOSPITAL WAS FOUNDED BY AGNES KEYSER, A FRIEND OF THE THEN PRINCE OF WALES – SOON TO BE KING EDWARD VII, WHO ULTIMATELY GAVE THE HOSPITAL A ROYAL CHARTER. I THINK THAT ROYAL CONNECTION HAS CONTINUED BECAUSE IT’S VERY DISCREET. HIGH-PROFILE PEOPLE COME IN EVERY DAY AND NO ONE NOTICES.
WE HAVE HOTEL
STANDARD BED LINEN AND RESTAURANT-QUALITY FOOD. WE TRY TO MAKE IT AS BESPOKE AS POSSIBLE, SO IF A PATIENT PARTICULARLY WANTS SOMETHING, THE CHEFS WILL SEND A PORTER OUT TO GET IT, EVEN WHEN THAT MEANS A TRIP TO SELFRIDGES! BUT WE’RE NOT “BLINGY”. WE DON’T HAVE PLUSH SUITES. WHAT YOU GET IS KIND, CARING NURSING AND EMINENT CONSULTANTS – THEY HAVE TO BE INVITED TO WORK HERE.
AS A NURSE, I WAS VERY LUCKY AND WAS ASKED TO LOOK AFTER VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. MATRON BRIEFED US ON HOW TO ADDRESS THEM AND HOW TO BEHAVE. I’D BE MAD IF I SAID I WASN’T NERVOUS –
BUT ONCE YOU GET TO KNOW THEM, THEY’RE LOVELY AND VERY NORMAL. THEY’RE VERY GOOD PATIENTS! I SAY TO MY STAFF THAT IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT NOT TO BE STAR-STRUCK, OTHERWISE YOU MIGHT MISS SOMETHING.
THERE’S A LIST OF SURGEONS AND PHYSICIANS APPOINTED FOR THE ROYALS AND WE TRY TO KEEP THE NUMBER OF NURSES CARING FOR THEM TO A MINIMUM TOO, PARTLY FOR SECURITY AND ALSO AS A ROYAL COULD FEEL VULNERABLE AS A PATIENT – THEY DON’T WANT TOO MANY PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT OF THEIR ROOM. SO WHEN THE QUEEN MOTHER WAS ADMITTED, I’D ALLOCATE TWO NURSES TO WORK OPPOSITE ONE ANOTHER, ONE DURING THE DAYS, THE OTHER AT NIGHTS.
YOU DO FEEL SLIGHTLY UNDER SIEGE. SECURITY IS TIGHT ANYWAY BUT IT GOES UP A NOTCH WHEN ROYALTY COMES. WE HAVE STREETS BLOCKED OFF, THE MEDIA BEHIND THE BARRIERS, MAKING A LOT OF NOISE. I’M QUITE PROTECTIVE AND I HAVE TO GO OUT TO TELL OFF THE JOURNALISTS, AND REMIND THEM THERE ARE SICK PEOPLE IN HERE.
THE SUICIDE OF JACINTHA WAS ABSOLUTELY AWFUL – THE WORST THING I’VE HAD TO DEAL WITH IN MY WHOLE LIFE, AS WELL AS MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE. WE STILL TALK ABOUT
HER A GREAT DEAL – SHE’S STILL PART OF
OUR LIVES AND WE HAVEN’T SWEPT IT UNDER THE CARPET. NURSES HAVE TO BE QUITE RESILIENT. IT DOES FEEL LIKE THE MEDIA LEARNED SOME LESSONS THOUGH.
WHEN I STARTED NURSING, SURGEONS
WERE GODS. YOU HAD TO HAVE THE PATIENTS READY AND EVERYTHING IMMACULATE FOR
THE WARD ROUND, THEN THE DOORS WOULD
FLY OPEN AND THEY’D ALL SWEEP IN. IT’S SLIGHTLY LESS FORMAL NOW, THOUGH I STILL
“Once you get to know the Royals, they’re very normal and make good patients!”
ADDRESS SURGEONS BY THEIR FULL TITLE – I DON’T USE FIRST NAMES. IT ALSO STANDS ME IN GOOD STEAD NOT TO BECOME TOO FRIENDLY IN CASE I EVER HAVE TO TELL THEM OFF!
I DO FEEL COCOONED HERE IN MY
LITTLE BUBBLE OF LOVELINESS. I ADMIRE MY COMPATRIOTS IN THE NHS – THEY’RE UP AGAINST IT BUT THEY DO A GREAT JOB. MY FATHER WAS IN HOSPITAL LAST YEAR. THE WARD LOOKED LIKE A WAR ZONE TO ME BUT THE STAFF WERE AMAZING AND HE WAS LOOKED AFTER BRILLIANTLY.
WE HAVE 57 BEDS AND I’M RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING REALLY HIGH STANDARDS OF CARE ACROSS THE HOSPITAL. IT WASN’T A CAREER PATH I’D EVER IMAGINED. I WAS HAPPY AS A WARD SISTER WHEN I WAS APPROACHED ABOUT APPLYING TO BE MATRON. I WAS 34 – QUITE YOUNG TO BE APPOINTED – THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN FIVE MATRONS HERE IN THE HISTORY OF THE HOSPITAL. I MISS THE HANDS-ON NURSING BUT I STILL TRY TO GO TO THE WARDS AND SEE THE PATIENTS EVERY DAY.
PATIENT EXPECTATIONS ARE MUCH HIGHER NOW. WE HAVE SOME TYPE A PERSONALITIES WHO WE’LL NEVER PLEASE. THERE’LL BE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE FOOD, ABOUT THE BED LINEN, THE TV CHANNELS, THE COLOUR OF THE PAINT ON THE WALLS! AS MATRON, YOU NEED TO BE FAIRLY UPBEAT. I ALWAYS GO INTO THEIR ROOM WITH A SMILE, SIT DOWN AND LISTEN.
I LOVE LOOKING AFTER THE OLDER GENERATION THE MOST. THE HOSPITAL WAS SET UP TO TREAT OFFICERS RETURNING
FROM THE BOER WAR
AND IT STILL HAS CLOSE LINKS WITH THE MILITARY. WE’VE HAD DAM BUSTERS, WOMEN WHO WERE BEHIND ENEMY LINES IN THE RESISTANCE, PEOPLE WHO ESCAPED NAZI-OCCUPIED EUROPE. I’VE NURSED THE PEOPLE I’VE READ ABOUT IN HISTORY BOOKS. IT’S AN ALL-CONSUMING JOB BUT I GENUINELY ENJOY LOOKING AFTER PEOPLE. THAT’S WHY I LOVE IT.”
“I’m protective of the patients and tell the journalists off if they’re being too noisy”