"Duchy hospital feedback"

I had a lumbar foraminal injection for my disc prolapse at the Duchy yesterday.

The staff were welcoming and the waiting area is nice and relaxing. There was no milk for hot drinks so this needed replenishing. My nurse came and collected me and they were warm, caring and put me at ease. I have been on strong painkillers and there could have been more clarity regarding whether to continue these before the injection as I was unsure.

I was taken to a private room and my consultant came to brief me. I put my gown on and thought I would be going into theatre soon after but I was waiting for 30 minutes which can seem a lot longer when you are nervous!

The toilets by reception were immaculate but sadly the main toilet by the theatre was very dirty with an overflowing bin. I was surprised by this as I was told this was a ' sterile' area.

I do feel however that the hospital could provide more after care as I had to call today to obtain information regarding symptoms and whether I should be engaging in physical activity e.g. Walking etc.

I was a self pay patient ( even though this shouldn't matter) and it's a shame as it was a very positive experience on the whole but attention to detail eg clean toilet, after care instructions would have been appreciated.

However, I couldn't fault my consultant and their hospital team as they reassured me and one kind person even held my hand during the procedure. I would like to thank all of the staff for my care at the Duchy as I was definitely in good hands. Their professionalism outweighed these minor points.