Charlotte Grimshaw (Diary, June 24) wrote eloquently about the quality of care from all health professionals at Auckland City Hospital.
I would like to say our family has experienced the same compassionate, professional care at both Middlemore and Manukau SuperClinic. My husband over the past two or three years has had several hospital stays. One, involving an ambulance callout, resulted in emergency abdominal surgery which, if delayed, would have made me a widow. He had the one of the best gastric surgeons in Auckland wielding the knife. Again, 99.9% excellent care at every stage. (Also, a shoutout to the unknown patient whose delayed surgery allowed my husband to survive.)
Other less dramatic surgeries and outpatient visits have also been characterised by care, compassion and professional competence. Also, like Grimshaw, my husband’s experience in the public system compared favourably with his experiences in the private system.
As a society, we do ourselves no favours when we keep asking our health services, and those who so generously give of themselves, to keep running on empty.
We are truly appreciative of the care we received and continue to receive.
