Patient Story

LESLIE BARRATT

Mr Leslie (Les) Barratt - ‘that’s Barratt with an A, the Irish version’ - is no stranger to a hospital visit or two. Les, originally from Port Pirie, is a bit of a character and a typical hard-working family man. He is now looking forward to retirement with his wife Dianne, enjoying fishing and caravanning and time with his four adult children and five grandchildren. Les’ orthopaedic journey began 10 years ago when he first underwent a full hip replacement before retiring from his fulltime position with a line marking company in 2017. Les said, ‘I’m always a bit apprehensive about other hospitals. St Andrew’s stands out; it’s the care, the personal care, and all the sta - right down to the trainee nurses - are all so caring and polite.’ In preparation for his recent right knee revision, Les had to return to St Andrew’s for various knee surgeries. This preparation meant Les had a 120-day-stay at St Andrew’s last year. It was during this stay that Les came to know many sta on the fourth floor. ‘You get to know everyone like family; the fourth-floor sta are a group of beautiful people and I have nothing but praise for them.’ Whenever Les stays on the fourth floor, he often feels like a celebrity on arrival. ‘All the sta are so welcoming - like long lost friends.’ Along with the sta , Les has formed great friendships with some of the other long-term patients. ‘It is just so nice’, he exclaimed. The day we spoke to him, Les’ wife Dianne, had taken him out for a bu et lunch. He said, although he thoroughly enjoyed the outing, the food was nowhere near as good as St Andrew’s. Les was back at the hospital for his knee revision in August. Again, his troublesome knee presented a challenge where ‘spacers’ were inserted before the revision. Les has only recently returned home. Recovering at home, Les reports everything is going to plan. He is feeling good, but understands how careful he must be during the recovery period, continuing his exercises and physiotherapy.

Leslie (in the blue and white stripe top) pictured with his wife, Dianne and some of their children and grandchildren.

Thanks to the highly-skilled and experienced care from his surgeon Tom Savvoulidis and our nursing teams, Leslie is a few weeks away from a successful recovery. As well as enjoying some time with their grandchildren, Les and Dianne plan to hook up the caravan, pack the fishing gear, and hit the road in November. On parting, Les says, ‘I reckon they’ll miss me on the fourth floor ...’

‘I’m always a bit apprehensive about other hospitals. St Andrew’s stands out; it’s the care, the personal care, and all the sta - right down to the trainee nurses - are all so caring and polite.’