"Give nurses a chance, they do care"

I was admitted as an elective patient to Trauma and Orthopaedics in February for a repair to my damaged knee.

Given the immense pressure nurses are under for a prompt and efficient patient flow, I never once felt like I was on a production line.

There as an issue with my case notes being misplaced but this was resolved a good few hours before my surgery took place and I was pleased to see the answers I had given on the day were re checked with the information I had provided weeks ago that had just arrived.

The day case ward was clean and tidy and the staff were very possessional and keen to put the care needs of the patients first despite the time constraints.

As my surgery was last on the list, I was transferred to an inpatient ward for a few hours until I was observed enough to go home late at night. Given my age and social circumstances going home at 10pm wasn't an issue but I can't help but feel that other patients in different situations would have had to stay in costing the NHS an overnight stay and the loss of an acute bed - purely because of the lateness of the process.

My keenness to go home was facilitated superbly by the ward I was transferred to despite my desires falling during a time of shift handover from late staff to night staff and once again the staff were keen to make sure my needs were put first as well as balancing the needs of those patients they had been looking after all evening.

The one issue with an aspect of my care would have been to see someone who was present at my operation (consultant/sho/reg) to tell me how it went and what I should be doing post-op as 6-8 weeks is a long time not to see a doctor.

I have only recently found this website, but I also wrote a letter to PALS at the hospital commending the points raised here any my patient journey in full.

Keep up the good work, it does happen.