"Overwhelming service "

My appointment to the access lounge was excellent a warm welcome for a nervous patient. A quick introduction to a care nurse and led to a private room.

After initial induction I was introduced to a surgeon who explained everything that would happen during the operation the complications that may occur and answered my questions and concerns.

I was then assessed by the anaesthetist who I felt immediately comfortable with.

When the time for my procedure came I was not rushed, the nurse gave me the time to let my partner know and to pack every thing away.

I was lead away to surgery and the surgical staff were exceptional!

I was very nervous having not been in a hospital surgery environment since a child. They made the process easy telling me exactly what they were doing as they went about the procedure and what would happen once I was asleep.

Modern medicine is amazing! I don't remember going to sleep or waking up.

I slightly remember coming round and being moved by 4 nurses back to the DCU.

The DCU staff were amazing! All of the staff I meet were dedicated to making me feel better, and providing me with what I needed, they all deserve medals. I was a late departure from DCU which lead to difficulties, by 9pm the hospital was in night time lockdown.

I was not able to leave the DCU on my own, this meant my partner who suffers with AF had to leave the car and enter via the main doors and walk to collect me. This resulted in a long uncomfortable walk to the car park, not great after keyhole surgery!

I am most grateful for the care and attention I received from all the medical staff but I feel let down by the operational staff.

Note to management:

When I left the DCU to go for my operation it felt that I was being lead into an unclean dudgeon. The lift to the theatre area sounded like something that was being hand pulled by chains. The waiting areas outside theatre had no privacy when consulting! The area outside of the operating theatre the anaesthetic area felt grimy. Coming from a newly refurbished Day Case Unit didn't feel good.

I know the front of house needs to look good, but actually the back of house need to look great in fact it needs to look sensational! I know the plan is to transform NTUH over the coming years but this should be from inside to outside not what you are currently doing.

I have received good service from the NTHU trust under some difficult times but if I was offered the choice I would have chosen to get better/surrounding/modern/cleaner looking service at JCUH.