"First Class Care"

I recently attended the Royal Surrey Hospital Elective Surgery Unit for the removal of my prostate following a diagnosis of cancer in May. At an age of 55 this was the first operation I’ve needed in my life and so I was slightly apprehensive on the day of the operation. I needn’t have been, as from the time I arrived at the ESU to the time I left the hospital 3 days later I was treated with so much good care, dignity and compassion by everyone who supported me during my stay. I guess the most concerning time for a patient who is having a first ever operation is the lead up to going into theatre, but I needn’t have worried, as everyone at the ESU who was involve in preparing me for the operation were so supportive and completely reassuring as to the procedure to follow. I really can’t thank those members of the ESU team enough.

After my operation I was in Recovery before being taken to Compton Ward. Again everyone involved in looking after me during this time deserves high praise, their dedication, support and the care they provided was absolutely first class. For my operation it is possible to be released after 24 hours, but it was recognised by the nurses, specialist and consultants that I needed a little longer to be fit to go home, so there was no rush to make my bed available to someone else, I was given all the time I needed until they and I felt it was ok for me to be discharged. Again this shows what great care and professionalism this hospital provides in understanding the needs of the patient.

To say going into hospital for a major operation was a pleasure may seem a strange thing to say, but my recent time at the Royal Surrey Hospital was actually a pleasure because of the care and treatment I received. So I’d like to thank all who were involved in my care before, during and after my operation at the Royal Surrey Hospital, from the surgeons and their teams, the consultants, specialist, nurses and those who deliver the meals, the teas, the papers, and those who clean the wards, you all do a very special job under a lot of constraints (my daughter is a nurse at another hospital, so I know that for our NHS professionals the work is demanding and can sometimes be very difficult and stressful) and you all deserve high praise for your professionalism and the very high standards you deliver. You have a great hospital , thank you all.