I have been a cancer patient at St George Hospital and I disagree with the statement in the Leader (August 26) by Joy Burrell in relation to nursing care at the hospital.
As a psychologist Ms Burrell must know the hurt and humiliation that her statement must have caused the nursing staff.
I feel well qualified to express an opinion. I spent 10 years as an ambulance officer and met my wife when she gave me an injection in Wollongong Hospital casualty ward some 48 years ago.
She worked almost 40 years in the public health system, always in public hospitals.
The care that I received from all nursing staff at St George Hospital was first class. Sure, there are shortcomings but it is not the nursing staff's fault that doors are too narrow, corridors are too small and there are not enough cleaners. But to make statements about 90 per cent of nursing staff being Asian and they lack skills is reprehensible.
I had an Asian male nurse looking after me and he was so good. He was from the Philippines.
He was so thoughtful I said I was going to write to the hospital and thank him. I wish I could remember the names of the registered nurses who tended to my catheter that kept blocking. If I was the richest man in the world I could not have had better doctors and nurses.
The adjoining article in the Leader showed the team that looked after me.
The procedure I had was distressing and nurse Janine Kennedy made it easier for me to bear. Urological surgeon David Malouf and radiation oncologist Joseph Bucci were my treating doctors.
Nurse Pauline Thompson from the prostate cancer clinic is my guardian angel. From my first diagnosis with an aggressive prostate cancer Pauline has been like an angel. She regularly rings me to give me advice and organises treatment and appointments so please, Ms Burrell, think of the hurt you can cause before you go generalising.
Bill Carey, Kiama Downs
Have you been happy with care at St George Hospital?
