"Worse hospital experience ever!! :-("

I cannot fully express how disappointed I was in the care I received at Nuffield Hospital, Leicester.

I have been to another hospital many times and have been totally wowed by the treatment and care. However, when I booked this surgery to be at Nuffield, I had no idea that it would be so horrible!

The admission and surgery was fine. But the aftercare, totally disappointing!

I had surgery early afternoon and minutes after coming back into the room from recovery, a nurse brought my papers and said I was ready to be discharged but 1st had to have something to eat. I was still very sleepy from the general anaesthetic & took a long time eating it, as I was feeling very nauseous but all the while the nurse kept coming in to me and hurrying me along.

Then she said the surgeon had rang and said I had to get up NOW and walk around so I tried to stand up but was extremely dizzy. She stayed by my side while I stood, telling me it was normal, then she left. Thankfully my husband was there and rushed in scared after she left. He helped me back to the bed, having to hold my weight up as I nearly fainted. Then I was sick and he had to pull the bell for their attention. When she came in, she gave me some anti sickness med and more pain med & was still pressing for me to go home within an hour.

She said no one would be in hospital overnight and we had to be discharged by 8pm! What did she mean? Was this not a hospital?! My pressure was extremely low since the surgery and as much as I wanted to go home, I was worried of fainting with my children at home so we told her of our concerns. She said she would ring and ask the Surgeon if I could stay the night. We waited for 1 hr in the room & she didn't come back so my husband went to look for her at 8:00 only to be told she had gone home so we presumed I would be spending the night....

After my husband left, the nurse said she wouldn't be back in for the night, so there I was, left to fend for myself from 9pm until 7am, too scared to press the buzzer / bother anyone, hungry & not offered any tea until I had to beg for a slice of toast!

The bed controls didn't work since I came in the morning so when I asked the nurse to lie down to go to sleep for the night, she accused me of pressing the buttons too many times and wrecking it!! I was horrified as I hadn't even troubled it but I kept silent, my heart crying to get out of this cruel place asap!

In the morning the nurse said when I'm ready to go, just go! That was another stark difference to the other hospital. Even when I had a scan done under general anaesthetic (not even a big surgery!) the nurse escorted me downstairs, carrying my bags for me and asked my husband to bring the car to the door. There was NONE of this treatment at Nuffield!

The reception was in darkness at midday on Sunday and the nurse was in a room on the phone. Who cared?

Obviously no one in this hospital!

From that final step out of Nuffield, I decided I will never be going back! This was worse than even NHS