"Nurses great, surgeon needs to improve his bedside..."

Anything else?

I recently had a hysterectomy at this hospital. It was cancelled three times by the hospital, inc after I spent the entire day sat on the ward waiting to go down (nil by mouth from before midnight until 1930, which made me ill that evening). The surgeon in question was competent - the operation went well, no complications and I've healed well - but he was rude, arrogant and insulting towards me. Because I don't have children I have been made to justify why I think I don't want them to everyone in order to get this operation, and this surgeon was no exception. During this conversation, I mentioned that I couldn't really have the career I want and children anyway, and his immediate response was 'The NHS employs thousands of women'. I still have no idea where this comment came from! It was irrelevant. I told him I didn't want to work for the NHS, and he asked what is that I plan to do. When I told him, he and the nurse present burst into very loud, uncontrolled laughter. It was extremely rude and hurtful that someone who knows nothing about my educational background or research interests could laugh in my face at my career plans. FYI, my plans are very realistic for someone with my education and research interests . My operation was initially booked to be performed abdominally, but when it was cancelled (2nd time) I was told that the new surgeon would only agree to perform it if he could do it laparoscopically. I agreed, but when I arrived in hospital, he denied all knowledge of the conversation the receptionist who called me claimed to have had with him, and said that he was booked in as abdominal. I explained I didn't mind either way, I just wanted it done. However, this level of incompetence in something as simple as communication didn't fill me with confidence in the hospital. As a patient, I expect to be kept correctly informed and do no appreciate how much I've been messed around over the last 2 years. As it turned out, he never did the operation that day anyway, and I came back the following week and had it done laparoscopically. All but one of the nurses were great. One told me it was my fault that she hurt me when taking blood, because I jumped. It was an involuntary action caused by the fact that she hurt me! I've had many blood tests over the years, and they rarely hurt, but she did and was rude about it (I said nothing, but my body reacted to pain, which she obv picked up on). I am not annoyed that she hurt, that's one of those things, but I didn't appreciate her attitude, espec when I said nothing. The staff in recovery were lovely, as were the anaesthesia team. The ward hostess was very accommodating of my fussy eating habits, and did all she could to make sure there was a meal I would eat. The nurses who cared for me when I came back from surgery were brilliant. Overall, I was pleased with the service I received at this hospital, but felt it was let down by one very rude surgeon whom I hope I never have to meet again.