"A disgrace to the NHS"

Such a terrible morning in this hospital. The waiting area for patients was full of ants. Patients jumping up from their chairs brushing away ants crawling over them. Not acceptable! Patients having to stand for lengthy times as there is not enough chairs in that area even if they wanted to sit down. The staff were very polite and friendly at all times. I was prepared for surgery. Feeling very anxious as I had had bad experiences after an operation in the past. I was rushed through to get changed as they were waiting for me in theatre. I was taken to an area and told someone will take me to the theatre in a min. I was totally left on my own. I waited and waited and waited. I asked a nurse if I had been forgotten. She smiled and went on her way. And so the waiting continued. To say I was feeling sick with nerves was an understatement. Not once did anyone come to talk to me. No other patients were sitting in that area either. After an hour and a half a nurse told me the operation was cancelled. I had been in the hospital for 3 hours and was supposedly first on the list. I was devastated. How can patients be treated like this!

The reason I was given at the time was unacceptable as I was given a completely different reason later that morning. This hospital needs to take a long hard look at how they treat patients. We are human beings. We have feelings and deserve to be treated with respect. We are not just numbers to be juggled around like we don’t matter. I was told I could get another date within six weeks but it could be cancelled again. We all know what will happen. Someone will die waiting for their operation they badly need and it will just be a case of ‘we will review how we treat patients in the future’. Far too little far to late. How do hospitals get away with treating patients so badly is beyond me. We all deserve much better.