"Excellent care and a comforting experience"

I was referred to the Horder Centre for treatment for a herniated vertebrae (slipped disc) and my initial consultation was helpful, reassuring and informative. I was told of the possible options as well as a frank and realistic assessment of each of them. I agreed with the surgeon's recommendation that I needed a partial discectomy and so signed the paperwork to begin the process.

One issue is that I was told that it could be a 6 week wait until the operation and this ended up being a 17 week wait! Even though I had been in pain for 9 months leading up to my referral, the last 2 months of waiting were excruciating and I would have much preferred to have been spared all of that by having my expectations met with regard to waiting time.

The pre-admission process was very supportive and the staff were all knowledgeable, caring and competent. I would have liked to have had a bit more information about what to expect on the day itself as all I was told was when to be there by (you phone up the evening before to find this out). I needed to know rough timings so that my companion could arrange what to do for their own journey home, meals, etc as we live some distance from the Horder Centre and the receptionist was quite dismissive and made it seem like it was an effort to connect me to the ward so my questions could be answered.

Apart from that, everything went well. The staff were friendly and supportive and each one introduced themselves, explained each aspect of the process, and ensured that I felt at ease. This continued throughout my stay and the night staff were as efficient and helpful as the day staff and surgical team. I was last on the morning list so would have preferred to not have to wait for 5 hours in a regular chair, especially with lower back pain, but this was the least of my concerns at the time, given my imminent surgery!

The premises were clean and tidy and with a couple of small exceptions (such as a broken clip on the nurse call button), it was a pleasant place to be, all things considered! My pain care was dealt with appropriately and swiftly and each aspect of my care was dealt with professionally. The food was tasty and fresh and my dietary requirements were accommodated well, even if it meant a restricted choice (something that I am used to, so no negative reflection on the Horder Centre).

I would recommend the Horder Centre for treatment as it is a professional, supportive and clean environment with excellent staff and care.