"Simple, common procedure made feel like major surgery."

At the end of Jan I had a procedure, which I had done 3mths earlier, repeated. The previous experience was a very positive one, although didn't have the outcome that I had hoped for. This had been performed in the Day Procedure Unit.

This time my experience was very different, in a number of ways. Firstly, it wasn't in the Day Procedure Unit. I had to be admitted to 4 South, which was fine but meant the whole experience was  different. The ward itself was clean, welcoming and like any other ward at present, busy.

All staff that I came in contact with were friendly, professional and helpful. S/N Michelle and a first year student nurse were whom I had the most contact with. They were both very pleasant and conversed freely. Michelle did all the usual pre op checks and explained everything she was going to do. Dr Boggs is my Consultant and he was going to carry out my procedure on this occasion. He was pleasant and professional in all his interactions with me. Dr Boggs explained everything, although I was aware as this was my 2nd time to have this procedure. He also spent time explaining another option to me, should this procedure not give the intended outcome. I appreciated this as I knew that I still had options. I wasn't anxious at all, due to already having had this 3mths earlier. Dr Boggs informed me that as I was in 4 South I would have to be wheeled down, on the bed, to theatres. They were on the ground floor! I then became anxious. This appeared totally unnecessary. I was a fit, healthy woman in for a simple procedure. Dr Boggs explained that it was due to Health and Safety. I'm a nurse myself and being the patient now felt very different. 3 days since my procedure and I still cannot comprehend why my procedure would not be in the Day Procedure unit. I was having a local anaesthetic, for a 10min procedure. It now felt like I was having major surgery. 

After being wheeled down to theatres I had to wait until everything was ready. S/N Katie dealt mainly with me and was so lovely, conversing freely, as were all the staff there. After the procedure, I then had to go to  Recovery! This was also totally unnecessary. It was explained to me that as I had been in theatre it was procedure to then go to Recovery. Don't get me wrong, the staff there were also so lovely, professional and attentive, checking my clinical observations every 15mins. I felt like I didn't belong there as I was wheeled in bright eyed and bushy tailed, to a ward where everyone was lying down with oxygen masks and monitors on. The staff had enough to do without the unnecessary checks that I then required, simply because of where I was.

Having had this experience, I feel it would be worth looking into who and what requires which theatre space. There's so much talk about making patients experience as positive as possible, this is only something simple but something that changed my whole patient experience for the same procedure.