Patient Stories

We strive to provide the best quality care and treatment possible for every patient across the Scottish Borders.

Hearing about your experiences of our services and our staff helps us learn and improve by sharing the feedback with our teams.

Care Opinion is an online platform where you can share your experience of the care you or your loved ones have received. You can let us know what went well and what we could do to make our services even better, based on your own experience.

One of this month’s stories included a patient speaking positively about their experience in Ward 5 at the BGH. They said that the staff were “caring and compassionate” and went “above and beyond” to ensure that their stay was as comfortable as possible. They said that the doctors and nurses “really took their time” to explain things and make sure they understood everything that was happening. They added that they felt that the “unsung heroes” of the ward were the domestics, auxiliaries and the receptionist. They said that the “power” of the work they do and “pride” they show in their care was “commendable”. The person concluded by thanking the staff in the ward for their “wonderful care”, stating that their “cheery smiles and thoughtful gestures”, made their stay “not stressful in the slightest”.

In another story, someone spoke about the positive experience they have had with our Dermatology service. The person said that they had been suffering with acne for a long time and that it was “ruining [their] self-esteem” and making them “miserable”. They said that they feel that the Dermatology team has gone “above and beyond the call of duty” to take care of them and make sure they are getting the right treatment, adding that they now feel “so much better” and that their self-esteem has “improved considerably”, making them feel like they have been given a “new lease of life”. The person concluded by thanking the team, which they called “amazing” and said that experiencing “such high quality care and compassion” was “refreshing”.

Other feedback this month included someone speaking positively about their experience at the Borders Sexual Health Clinic. The person said that they are afraid of needles and was dreading attending the clinic to have their implant removed. However, when they arrived at the clinic, they found that the nurse who cared for them was “amazing” and able to answer all of their questions to help them come to a decision on their next steps. The person mentioned that during their procedure they felt dizzy, but that the nurse was able to “speak through it” and was “reassuring”. They concluded by saying how “appreciative” they are of the care they received and how thankful they are for the nurse’s “kindness and compassion”. 

We always look forward to receiving feedback from our patients, as having these open and honest conversations about your care lets us know what we are doing well and what we can improve on too. Positive feedback has a hugely beneficial impact on staff morale, while constructive feedback gives us an opportunity to learn from your experiences and make our future patients’ experiences even better.

If you or one of your family members has recently used one of our services, please take the time to tell us your story at www.careopinion.org.uk.

Since we started using Care Opinion to gather your feedback, we have received 1,367 stories. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to tell us about your experience.