"Breast Surgery experience"

I under went breast surgery in November 19. Overall my experience was positive and my recovery has been short however, I am keen to share my overall experience.

I am not confident I would have been contacted by the service to confirm my surgery date with suitable notice, I believe it is only due to myself contacting the medical secretary on 5 days earlier that I found out I was being operated on the following week. The medical secretary confirmed I would receive my letter within the day, unfortunately I have yet to receive a letter confirming my surgery date. I contacted the Medical Secretary back on the 3 days before the surgery date as I had not received my letter, this staff member confirmed I was to attend DoSA. This was the first time I had heard of the DoSA unit. If I didn't contact the Medical Secretary to confirm where I was to report to on the surgery date I would have arrived at Ward 308/309.

I felt the set-up of the DoSA unit wasn't patient centred or inviting. I appreciate there is a need to save bed capacity within the hospital but I wasn't won over by what felt like an out-patient clinic waiting area. I was unaware this was a central point for patients attending various operations that day and assumed this was a unit for other breast surgery patients. It would have been beneficial to socialise with other female patients going through the same experience as myself to make the experience more comforting.

I was pushed through the DoSA waiting area, on my way to receive a scan prior to my Op whilst I was in a theatre gown. I didn't feel comfortable and felt there wasn't much to protect my dignity. I was wheeled down the main hospital corridor to Nuclear Medicine with the same discomfort and it was only when I had my dye injected at Nuclear Medicine that a nurse kindly gave me a blanket.