"An average experience"

I was there for a daycare laparoscopic procedure under general anaesthetic and while everything went OK, I felt that standards had slipped since my last daycare procedure about 20 years ago, when I was impressed by the quality of the service (staff were on the ball and both the consultant and the anaesthetist phoned after a few days to check I was OK).

This time I was given no prior information about the pre-assessment and didn't realise that it would involve an ECG and two separate blood samples taken by different nurses, which all took some time (and which were quickly billed). Similarly, although the consultant was friendly and seemed efficient, I was given no detailed information about the actual procedure beforehand, merely a rough verbal outline and later emailed a leaflet about post-operative pain relief options. A leaflet describing the procedure, in particular that I would be pumped full of CO2, which would leave residual shoulder and upper abdomen pain, would have been helpful. As it was, I was merely told to be careful for a bit and that I might have difficulty in passing urine. I had to google further details myself. The anaesthetist seemed harassed as in general did other staff, with paperwork a bit sloppy (I had to repeat my allergies and other details to several different people, despite filling in a comprehensive form at the pre-admission assessment).

When I left, I was given an unreadable and unsigned copy of my Consent Form and, instead of the friendly farewell one might expect, the man on reception barely glanced up from his screen or at my discharge form. While clean, facilities seemed rather tired, and no different to those I remembered 20 years ago. It was perhaps indicative that one of the patient lifts had broken down, necessitating several patients, nurses and a trolley squeezing into the one working lift on the way to theatre.

All in all an average experience compared with other London private hospitals I have experienced - but then they were generally more expensive. Taking a broader view, I suspect that pressure on the NHS is being reflected in more pressure on the private sector.

(P.S. The Inpatient Questionnaire I was given on leaving was far too long, detailed and rigid for me even to want to start on it).