A LOCAL delivery driver has been praised for going beyond the call of duty recently, when he discovered a patient who had injured themselves at home alone.
Melksham man Chris Cox, deliverer for Gompels Pharmacy, discovered an elderly woman who had been on the floor in her home for approximately two days after a fall.
Chris said, “The lady is a regular customer and it was unusual for her to not be home, so I had a feeling something wasn’t right.
“Of course people’s schedules change so I left after the first visit and carried on with my other deliveries. I heard her dog inside but hadn’t thought much of it at first.
“I must have gone back about three times during the day, but there was still no answer when I went at the end of my shift after 7pm. Then I started to worry so a neighbour and I went round the back of the house. The dog had pulled back the curtain so we could see she was on the floor, and I called 999.
“She was taken to hospital but I’m told she has made a full recovery and is back up and about, which is great.
“I know most of our customers and you get used to their habits, so I think it’s my instinct to keep checking if something is out of the normal. I couldn’t walk away if something didn’t feel right.”
Chris, who has worked at D&M Gompels for nearly nine years, is no stranger to the situation, and has had a number of similar experiences in the past.
Nick Gompels, who runs the pharmacy on Melksham’s Bank Street, praised his employee’s actions.
Nick said, “We always encourage our staff to go the extra mile for our patients. Chris takes great pride in what he does and knows the majority of his patients personally.
“The lady’s relatives sent a lovely thank you card signed by her. It is a level of service that you can only get locally and not from a national company.”
