"2014 Compared to 2007"

In 2007 I had a hip replacement at RBH. The operation went according to plan as far as I knew at that time but I felt 'separated' from what was happening and what to expect afterwards. The x-rays prior to the operation did not instil confidence. The radiographer's English was very limited and he was trying to x-ray my elbow until I kept pointing at my right hip, speaking slowly and someone came in to save the day! There was no information given prior to the op; I arrived at The Chesterman Unit at 7am, was left waiting all day until they closed and was taken to the ward before going to theatre, with no explanation from anyone and not having had even a sip of water since midnight the night before. I felt as if I'd fallen between the cracks in the floorboard and no one knew I was there. Fast forward to 2014. What a difference. Absolutely fantastic. I cannot praise highly enough every single member of staff that I came into contact with. The information packs and talks beforehand were informative and very helpful. A blip with the air conditioning unit in theatre meant that my op was postponed for a couple of weeks but that wasn't the fault of the Medical Team and I was kept fully informed, which was excellent. A new date was set for 2 weeks ago and everything flowed beautifully from my point of view. Expert care from very caring people during and after the operation has meant that my recovery has astounded family and friends, particularly compared to last time. Each day I go from strength to strength and I firmly believe that wouldn't have happened without the care I received in RBH. Full marks, congratulations and many, many thanks to my consultant and his Orthopaedic team, the superb Consultant Anaesthetist and her team. She laid to rest many fears I had about the anaesthetic and was with me every step of the way; the Nursing Staff in Lister Ward for their patience, care and understanding, and not forgetting some of the behind the scenes people in the Pre-Op Unit, the Chesterman Unit, the Discharge Unit (wonderful), and the porters. I must also say that the food was better this time! My 39 years of working for large multi-national organisations showed me that every single person within an organisation, working together and feeling they had a part to play in its success made a formidable working team. In my opinion and based on my experience recently, The Royal Berks have got it right.