From the evening of December 25 until the evening of the January 28, I had the most wonderful service given by the Patient At Home team from the Princes Alexandra Hospital. They are absolutely brilliant.

I had spent a total of 18 days at Broomfield Hospital, having been sent there as an emergency twice by the ear, nose and throat consultants at the Princes Alexandra Hospital, who again were outstanding.

At Broomfield I had been put on an antibiotic drip three times a day, and this had to be continued for six weeks from the start of my second visit. After much deliberation, they managed to get me on the Harlow Patient At Home programme, and the team started from my arrival home on Christmas Day, calling three times a day, and the duty doctor phoned almost every day, until my discharge on January 28.

I must have met all of the small team who were most professional and cheerful, despite at times being held up for ages in traffic jams etc trying to get to me. Even so, they did not rush the procedure.

On a couple of occasions I had to see my consultant at the Princes Alexandra Hospital which would have meant that it clashed with my treatment. They overcame this by setting up my antibiotic drip at the hospital.

This service is classified as being in Hospital, but it also meant that they saved a bed.

Well done the team. Well done the Princes Alexandra Hospital for this specialist service.

Charles Jackson

Rectory Wood, Harlow