"Good and bad experience in day surgery"

My little girl attended day surgery to have her tonsils and adenoids removed.  Initially the experience was fine, the nurse admitting my little girl was lovely and made sure to speak to her as well as myself.  The recovery staff member that took her to theatre was also great with her. The theatre staff - anaesthetist team - were all great with her.  I was taken into the recovery area so that I could be there for her prior to her getting her GA.

During pre-assessment I was made aware that I would be in recovery with her, not initially, but that I would be taken along to be with my daughter, I told my daughter I would be there when she woke up - she is only 5 and only turned 5 the week before surgery - so I was shocked when the recovery staff wheeled her back into day surgery.  They didn't communicate with me they literally dumped her in day surgery and left - I wasn't told how it went, what exactly she had done, etc.  The first thing my little girl said to me was that I wasn't there and I had promised - I was so upset.  I communicated the same to a member of staff was abrupt in their approach to me, demanding who told me I could go to recovery, I told her pre-assessment, they said well if that is the case they will be sending an email out to correct that information, as if I would change my mind. 

This staff member said it wasn't protocol, I wasn't allowed in recovery - bearing in mind I was there pre-op.  Having been in other NHSL hospitals I know that parents are allowed in recovery.  Its daunting for a little one to wake in a room full of strangers, strangers that I question the level of care given considering they didn't converse with me and didn't bother to say goodbye to her when they brought her back - did they actually comfort her on return from surgery - I doubt it. 

This member of staff then abruptly approached the parent next to me to make sure they knew they wasn't allowed in recovery.  What a way to speak to anxious parents and to speak to me the way they did in front of my daughter who was already upset as I wasn't there when she woke, I was trying to console her and I had this person bark at me in an awful tone and manner.  On return from theatre my daughter also came back to me with a scratch on her R cheek that no one could account for and a cut under her chin that no one seemed aware of, the anaesthetist did apologise for the same, they were also great in the care she provided to my daughter.

The rest of my experience was fine, the two nurses looking after my daughter post-op where great and made myself and my daughter feel well looked after.  It's such a shame that my overall good experience was ruined by one person, the one who should be ensuring that the overall patient experience is a positive one.