"I had problems with my gall bladder for the past 18 months"

having been told, in April 2021, that I would have my gall bladder removed, nothing happened for some time. I know there are delays due to covid but I suspect that they forgot about me! Eventually I wrote and asked where was I on the waiting list and 3 days later got a phone call to ask if I was free to have the operation in mid Feb 2022. I am profoundly deaf and have great difficulty with the phone!! Eventually my husband took the phone calls and so a PCR test and a pre op day were arranged. The pre operation day went well. The staff were fantastic and wore clear masks so that I could lip read. The nurse was helpful and answered all my questions.

the day of the operation was a bit more difficult - the journey to be there for 8am was difficult as the weather was -6C ! however we took it slowly and arrived in time having left before 7am for a journey usually taking 30 mins. 

All went well however - though no sign of clear masks in the ward! the staff had to drop their masks so that I could lip read. This is not safe for them or for patients. When clear masks are available they should be everywhere in the hospital. the only other problem I had was in the anaesthetic room. I am also partially sighted and had to stand on a 'stool' to get onto the bed. The stool was black - the same colour as the floor and I had more than one attempt to find it to step up safely. I would suggest that some yellow paint or stripes on the stool would make it more obvious for partially sighted patients.

apart from that all went well though I spent 8 hrs vomiting but am now slowly on the mend. the hospital is not good with deaf/hard of hearing problems - I suspect that unless a member of their own family has problems - either do not know or in my view care about disabled patients. Sad but true. one other point to make about all the tests and appointments that I had prior to the operation - I never saw the same doctor twice. Different every time. The man who did the operation was nice but I had never seen him before either! please do not blame covid for all the problems in the NHS - which I believe sadly is going downhill