"How to ease your long journey for Day Surgery?"

Anything else?

You can make going into this hospital feel more like a short holiday? For Scheduled surgery you may need to arrive at the ECTC around 7-15am. Some patients and their Spouse/Partner/Carer this may be "challenging" especially if you live a relatively long distance away and don't know the area. Now All you have to do is let your Medics know at your Pre-Assessment check (or before) that you would like to arrive the evening before and stay nearby? The ECTC can arrange a room in a nearby Premier Inn at an acceptably low price for both Patient and Carer to stay. The costs for my wife & I was £30 per night plus food. This enabled us to travel over 50-miles from our home in relative ease the evening prior to surgery. We enjoyed a good meal together before retiring to the comfort of the Premier Inn. This put us both in a good frame of mind before my complex Surgery at the ECTC. My wife then drove me the remaining short distance to the ECTC at 7am. I arrived relaxed and we were both relieved of all the travelling stresses. Upon discharge I returned to the nearby Premier Inn and was able to enjoy a good relaxing evening meal together with my wife. We stayed the night and were then able to travel home more relaxed the following day after enjoying a good healthy breakfast in the restaurant adjacent to the Premier Inn. This is ideal for anyone who finds the journey too and from Basildon "challenging". The catchment area for all NHS “Regional Centres of Excellence” like the ECTC, is huge by definition, therefore they all need similar facilities, in my opinion. The Excellent treatment at the ECTC is complemented by the good service given by Premier Inn staff who made our stay as comfortable as possible. My wife and I thank Basildon Hospital Management & Staff & specially everyone at The Essex Cardiothoracic Centre, for their excellent care and amazing medical skills for making what can be a traumatic experience as stress free as possible. I am certain this has aided my recovery.