Thank You Letter to Staff After a Stay in Hospital

Whatever the reason for our hospital stays, they always catch us at a strange time in our lives, and few of us are at our best. Even if the reason is itself what you might call a ‘welcome’ one – such as having a baby – it is a rare patient indeed who doesn’t feel at least a little uncertainty and anxiety, and having good, professional care makes all the difference. While we’re grateful at the time, more pressing worries can sometimes mean that we don’t always say so, and a well worded letter of thanks is a very good way to make sure everyone involved knows just how much we really did appreciate their help.

Content of a Thank You Letter to Staff After a Stay in Hospital

The content of the letter will inevitably depend on a number of different factors, including amongst other things, the likes of why you had to stay in hospital, how long you were there, and the number and roles of the different members of staff with whom you came into contact.

In the case of a simple, short stay for a fairly routine reason, for example, you will probably not have come across many people, nor been there long enough to build up a particularly close relationship. Under these circumstances, a brief, but heartfelt, note will be ideal. On the other hand if your stay was a protracted one, or the care you required particularly complex, a lengthier and more detailed letter becomes appropriate, especially when a number of health care professionals and allied staff were involved.

It is always good to mention any particularly kind or thoughtful act – but be careful that you don’t overdo it. If a large number of members of staff were involved, you don’t want to run the risk of accidentally offending anyone by appearing to have overlooked them! It is probably safest to restrict any special mentions to assistance that went beyond ‘simply doing the job’, and otherwise confine yourself to a general vote of thanks to everyone.

Format of a Thank You Letter to Staff After a Stay in Hospital

The format of a letter to thank hospital staff will typically follow its intended content, though unusually, in this case the longer the communication, the less formal it is likely to be, since it indicates a closer relationship and more shared experiences. As a general guide, if you are thanking a group of staff, the aim should be to be informal, but not overly casual. If, however, you are addressing a single individual, particularly if he or she is high up in the hospital organisation, such as your consultant, or the chief executive, then a suitably formal tone is called for, particularly if this was the first time that they have been involved with your treatment.

For informal group thanks, a few hand written words on a purchased card or notelet will be ideal. There’s nothing quite like a well chosen picture to brighten up the ward’s notice board and an eye-catching design will ensure that everybody will take a peek to see who sent it, which, of course, spreads your message even faster!

Obviously for the more formal thank you letter to an individual senior member of staff, traditional stationery is called for, and normally this kind of letter would be typed.

In all cases, it’s important to make sure that you get the address of both the hospital and the ward or department correct. This is clearly essential if you will be sending it by post, but even a hand delivered envelope may sometimes have to go through a central reception or post-room along the way. Many medical specialities have similar sounding names, and some facilities are spread over two or more sites; addressing your letter or card correctly will ensure it arrives at the right place without delay.

Sample of a Thank You Letter to Staff After a Stay in Hospital

Street Address
Town
County
Post Code

12th August, 2011

Dr. M. J. Singh, MRCP
Department of Cardiology
Hospital Name
Street Address
Town
County
Post Code

Dear Dr Singh,

Hospital number: XYZ 123456

I am writing to thank you for the excellent care I received both from yourself and your team during my recent stay in your hospital, and for all your efforts to make me well again, which I’m glad to say, seem to have been entirely successful.

I really appreciate everything that was done for me, and would be very grateful if you would pass on my thanks to everyone concerned.

Yours sincerely,

Mary Jackson (Mrs)