"Extreamly Disappointing Care"

I was scheduled in for keyhole surgery at 2pm on the 29th March. I also had to fast before the surgey and clean out my bowels so I had not eaten anything since the evening before. By 4pm I still had not had the surgery and nobody even bothered to keep me updated without me continuously asking. The nurses response was 'the consultants are not working to a list and we don't know when you will be seen' which of course wasn't helpful. My 8pm I still had not been seen and it had been over 24 hours since my last meal but couldn't eat due to the operation I was having. As you can imagine I was starving! Finally at 8.30; 6.5 hours after my scheduled appointment, a nurse comes and takes me to the theatre room with not even an apology. I didn't get back to my room until just gone midnight and they refused to feed me as I was on morphine. I was practically begging them because I was so hungry but I just went ignored. At around 1.45 in the morning, after finally falling asleep I was then asked if I wanted a sandwich! I also had my sister spending the night which wasn't the plan. She didn't want me to be left alone straight after surgery which finished late through no fault of our own! One of the nurses was extremely rude to her and was telling her to leave as visiting times were over. I felt this was totally uncalled for especially considering the circumstances!

I was meant to leave the following day but the consultant wanted to monitor me so I ended up staying an extra day. Nobody asked me what I wanted to eat until the evening of the same day. It meant I didn't have lunch (my sister ended up buying me food instead)

and dinner was a leftover sandwich because I had ordered late and there wasn't much else.

The day after I was finally discharged. One of the nurses changed my dressings because it was bleeding. She said she would come back in a few minutes to check on it but 40 minutes later, after ringing the bell to see what the hold up was, the nurse had gone home and completely left me waiting!

I was given no aftercare. Not told when I could remove my dressings, not told how to take the 4 different tablets given to me and over a week later, I am still waiting for a date for my check-up appointment. Also I was not told/given any information regarding the health signs to look out for after the operation and my discharge papers had the incorrect procedure on it.

It's just been a very disappointing and disheartening service all round. I didn't feel respected and really don't think I received the level of care I should have.

The only positive' s where that some of the nurses went out of their way to help and make me and my family feel comfortable (thank you ).