"Horrible, toxic work ethic. Untruths abound!"

I was Referred to Queen Alexandra for urgent, time critical nerve repair surgery. The 1st appointment offered was with a breast surgeon (!)’and was I informed that the registrar who had limited experience with this procedure would be performing my hand surgery! I questioned the wisdom of this rationale and was duly offered surgery with a specialist hand surgery consultant a week later.

The original referring doctor was very clear in explaining that there is only a very limited window of opportunity for surgery to have any chance of a successful outcome - typically 2 weeks. The surgery offered was ten days since the injury so I was hopeful that a positive result might be achieved.

I arrived at the hospital one full hour before my surgery appointment, was weighed, measured etc and told to put on a hospital gown whereupon I was directed to a waiting area.

I waited patiently for over 7 hours until the waiting area closed and I was then taken to another waiting area. Finally, when I asked what was going on, I was told the registrar was on his way down to see me. At no time did I meet or speak with the surgeon, which is most unusual and most regrettable.

The registrar finally showed up and with a smirk, told me they had run out of time!

Trying to contact anybody to get a replacement surgery date was a frustrating excercise in total futility. Nobody, and I do mean nobody answers their phones! Promised call-backs never happen.

In sheer desperation I contacted another renowned hospital and it was like a breath of fresh air. Phones answered promptly. They understood the time critical nature of what was needed, and everything was scheduled in sorted in short order.

I could never recommend any procedure at this hospital. There is a shameful and toxic work ethic, (or lack of ethic), with a careless and cavalier attitude amongst almost all of those people I interacted with.

If you want to feel you are in good hands, I’d advise for sanity’s sake, to go absolutely anywhere else and avoid this shambolic heartless, paradigm of appalling professional standards like the plague!