"Dreadful post-operative care"

I was admitted to the Nuffield Health hospital in Newcastle for a hip replacement.

The operation was done under a spinal anaesthetic with sedation and I was taken back to the ward at 6:30pm. I was pain free but felt very nauseous and was advised that this was due to a dose of strong painkillers which I had been given at the end of the operation.

Around 9:30pm the anaesthesia wore off and the pain increased. I asked for some pain relief and was given some tablets. Unfortunately, the nausea became worse and I vomited the tablets. The nurses told me that I had not been prescribed any painkillers other than tablets.

For the rest of the night I could not sleep and was in severe pain and retching constantly. The night nurses told me that there was nothing they could do as the doctors had not prescribed any analgesia or anti-emetic by injection. They seemed to think that I was just being a wimp and a nuisance.

The following morning, I was given some pain killers and anti-emetic which slowly brought the symptoms under control. I could not eat or drunk anything for well over 24 hours and felt dreadful.

Post-operative pain relief is a vital part of peri-operative care. In over 35 years of medical practice I have never seen it done so badly.

In all other respects this hospital seemed very satisfactory. However I cannot recommend it for any significant operative procedure.