Delighted colleagues treat Ann to standing ovation after overcoming COVID-19
A Royal Derby Hospital patient who spent four weeks in intensive care recovering from COVID-19 has thanked the “wonderful” UHDB staff who helped save her life.
Ann West was first admitted to hospital on 23 March after contracting coronavirus, with colleagues on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Ward 402 working around the clock over the next six weeks to help her overcome the illness.
Amazingly, Ann has now managed to win her battle and was yesterday (4 May) treated to a beautiful standing ovation from delighted members of our teams as she was discharged home – although it was clear who the grateful grandmother of eight felt deserved to be applauded.
She said: “How can thank you ever be enough? Everyone has been absolutely wonderful and so dedicated to making me better, from the intensive care team, to the staff on the ward, to the doctors, everybody. I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for me. I can’t fault anybody.
“Everyone has been absolutely marvellous and without them I wouldn’t be here, so all I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart for sending me back home to my family.”
RDH patient Ann celebrates overcoming COVID-19 from UHDB Communications on Vimeo.
In total, Ann, 61, spent 28 days being cared for in ICU, before then being transferred to Ward 402 to continue her treatment over the next two weeks, with critical care nurse Anya Egan admitting that it “felt amazing to be able to see Ann doing so well”.
She added: “Working in ICU, we don’t often get to follow a patient’s journey and see them go home, so this is so lovely and makes everything worth it. It’s really encouraging for all of us to see patients like Ann getting better.”
Anya wasn’t alone in expressing her delight over Ann’s recovery, with UHDB colleagues lining the hallway outside the Royal Derby’s Discharge Lounge, in the Kings Treatment Centre, to say farewell in style.
Gwen Hatton, Deputy Divisional Nurse Director, said: “Our staff are so passionate about the wellbeing of our patients and you can see how much it means to each and every one of them to see patients like Ann being discharged home. It’s a real morale boost for all of our staff to see a patient who was so critically unwell be ready to be safely discharged home, so we’re all absolutely delighted.”
Ann added: “You become really attached to the staff after a while; they’re all absolutely wonderful people. Even though they’re wearing masks, you can see their smiles and the genuine pleasure they get when they see that you’re getting better. To see me going home is like Christmas Day for them but it’s even better than Christmas Day for me! All I can say is thank you.”