"My experience of surgery as a day patient"

A couple of weeks a go I was admitted as a day patient for surgery under the ENT specialist Mr Mathews. My admittance time was 11. 00am, I arrived at 10. 45am at the admissions suite. It became apparent that a new system for admission was in operation. Very different to my two previous operations several years ago. I sat in the waiting area for around an hour and a half before seeing an doctor, after which I returned to the waiting area. Then waited till around 1. 30pm when the anaesthetist, a very young lady who made me feel relaxed called my name. She apologised for the delay saying that they had been to an "Audit Meeting".

I returned to the waiting area and continued to observe from a distance a wall/white board being used to track the progress of the patients, by doctors, anaesthetist's and nurses, who seemed to be rushing back and forth collecting patients each time.

It was around 2. 15pm when I along with two other patients were called to go to the pre op area where we undressed and put on our gowns and stockings. As soon as I was ready I was taken to the theatre and the procedure went ahead. In recovery a caring nurse sat with me until they were ready for me to go to the ward. It was around 4. 00pm that I was more aware of my surroundings, feeling extremely dehydrated.

I was finally discharged after 10. 00pm. Its possible from what I observed that had there not been a delay earlier in the day, then my discharge would have been around 2 hours earlier.

I write NOT as a complaint but to give a view from the patient side and I go on to say that in all of my dealings with the NHS at Russell Hall, and at Wordsley (before its closure) I have nothing but praise for the professionalism, the caring attitude by all the doctors, nurses and ancillary staff.