"Discharge waiting time"

I had a tumour in my kidney. This was to be removed using a robotic assisted partial nephrectomy if possible but most likely result was a radical nephrectomy. 

This was the case and everything went well with the surgery. I woke in ward 54 on Thursday evening after my surgery. 

On Friday morning after the surgery I spoke with the medical team at rounds and my consultant just after. Both agreed I was well enough to go home as long as my bloods were good. Turned out I had to stay another night and get put on a drip. 

On Saturday morning rounds I was again told I was well enough to go home as long as bloods were ok. 

I was finally told in the evening that I again I needed to be on a drip overnight. 

At Sunday morning rounds I was again told I was well enough to go home. This time I was told I didn’t need bloods taken as yesterday’s looked good and it wasn’t required. 

Sunday evening I was told I wasn’t going home as there was no doctor on nightshift to do my discharge paperwork and dayshift had not completed it. 

On Monday morning I was woken early morning by a staff member and told to get up as I was moving wards as my bed was needed far someone else. I was told I had 30 minutes to get up and ready. I got up and ready within the 30 minutes as requested then sat in my chair in the dark for 30 minutes until I was collected by a porter.

I was taken to ward 6 where the bed wasn’t ready for me so was asked to wait in a family waiting room. I had my breakfast in this room as my bed still wasn’t ready. 

The bed was ready 2 hours after being moved there.

Discharge paperwork was completed 5 hours later. 

One thing I would like to add is that throughout my time in Victoria hospital the care I received from everyone was excellent. There was less care over the weekend due to staff being stretched.

My issue with the stay at Victoria hospital was the organisation. I was waiting for 48 hours to be discharged when no one gave me any real information. When I was woken and moved very early on a Monday morning I wasn’t happy at all as by that stage as I shouldn’t have even been at the hospital anymore. 

Due to being swapped wards my discharge letter didn’t have the correct amount of information regarding my wound care and I have since had to book an appointment to see a nurse through my GP practise to try and get information. The nurse at my GP made comment on the lack of information in my discharge letter.