"Hospital feedback"

Anything else?

I had surgery performed on me just 3 days ago - the surgeon was the consummate professional - quietly assured and confident but fully sensitive to my concerns. I had been given his name by another respected professional at Christies some years earlier and was delighted to have him as my surgeon. It was very obvious to me that he is respected and admired by all members of the medical team at Wythenshawe which confirmed to me that his supportive and kind nature extends to his teaching capacity as well as to his patients. He was able to advise me fully about the operation and tailor his advice to my specific case. I saw him immediately after the anaesthetist had delivered some rather disturbing news to me about my case which I appreciate was necessary advice, although the surgeon was swift to give me appropriate reassurance and the 5 hours before I went into theatre were much easier to bear because of his reassurance and kind words. I am extremely grateful to him and all his team for their care and treatment of me - from his secretary in ensuring my appointment was maintained, to the anaesthetist who managed my pain very well and to perform my operation under the general anaesthetic as I had hoped, as well as all the nursing and support staff at the hospital. My only criticism of Wythenshawe hospital relates to the support functions which I expect is due to the sheer size of the hospital and the number of patients treated. I have slipped through the net on a number of occasions so have not been sent follow up appointments - most notably following a CT scan in April 2012 - had I not followed this up with my GP albeit a year later - I don't believe that I would have received any further appointments from the hospital even though the results of that scan indicated that surgery was necessary. I haven't suffered any harm as a result but I do think patients should have a way of following this up and should be advised to do so if they haven't heard within an appropriate time frame. Patients tend to assume that no news is good news, so do not instinctively follow up test results if they do not hear anything. Again due to the scale of the place for routine appointments you rarely see the consultant you are under, never at the appointment time, blood tests take an age to collect and being discharged from hospital is never a quick process, but the really important primary care in terms of diagnosis, surgery and day to day care - i.e. what really matters - is excellent. Overall my impression of Wythenshawe hospital is extremely positive and I am very grateful for the care and treatment I have received there both on this occasion and four years ago when I gave birth to my son under the care of another consultant - who was equally helpful and was confident enough to let me deliver naturally and avoid a c-section, where others might have taken the easier option of surgery. I am extremely indebted to the consultants I have been under.