Jess had attended to both my dad and my Mum at a home visit during the morning. Later in the day, my dad, who had been under the weather for a few days, suddenly became very unwell. He was shaking violently, clearly in a lot of discomfort, and very distressed. I called 111 for advice, but as I was on the phone with them, Jess appeared at the doorstep, like a guardian angel! She was on her way home, about to collect her children from school, and had just dropped by to leave some information leaflets she wanted my parents to have. I asked for her help, and immediately she came in and assessed my dad, who she suspected was in rigor. She took over the 111 call to explain what was happening and got her medical kit from the car to perform observations on my dad.

When a doctor called back a short while later, she was able to give a very detailed account of the situation, which prompted the swift dispatch of an ambulance to get him to the hospital. She also offered reassurance to me and to my mum, who was understandably upset and only a few days out of hospital herself, having suffered a heart attack. The next day Jess went to the trouble of phoning me to find out how he was getting on and I was pleased to be able to tell her that having been diagnosed with a bacterial and fungal infection he was making a good recovery.

I will be forever grateful to Jess for her actions that day, caring for my dad even though she had her own family commitments to consider, and for her reassuring and professional presence during what was a worrying time for us all, when she was not even supposed to be on duty.

I am sure her prompt actions ensured that my dad got the help and treatment he needed sooner than may otherwise have been the case.