"NHS - experience"

27.01.18 - 9am arrived for a Cystoscopy procedure "all went well". 29.01.18 - 8am went into full urine retention, rang the ward as advised to do in the event of a problem occurring. The sister on duty advises going to local A & E for emergency care, explaining as I was an NHS patient and my consultant not being around no other consultant would take responsibility for me.

Arrived at Southend A & E at 10am received wonderful care by dedicated NHS staff. I was catheterised and arrangements were made for a district nurse to visit me at home the following day. NHS to the rescue.

Whilst in A & E my wife took a call from my Consultants secretary (who my wife says could not have been more helpful ) she offered an appointment for 7th Feb for the TURPS procedure.

Arrived Springfield 7th Feb 12.15pm - was met by a porter who took me to my room, my wife was sent away, I did ask if she could stay as I was very nervous. I suffer with Parkinson's I'm 68 and this was to be my first ever stay in hospital and general anaesthetic. We were told "no not possible". I sat on my own in that room for 2hrs. Why my wife couldn't have stayed to support me baffles me.

My wife returned at 2pm, my consultant popped in at 2.10pm I was then taken to theatres at 2.15pm. My wife sat in my room waiting for me for 2hrs, I arrived back in my room at 4.03pm with a nurse who looked directly at my wife and said "you do realise that visiting finished at 4pm don't you" My wife has worked for the NHS for most of her working life she replied "do you mind if I speak to my husband after he's just had an operation" I don't think the nurse meant to be rude however the way she spoke just got my wife's dander up!

We questioned the nurse on the visiting policy for NHS and Private as when my granddaughter was treated at Springfield recently visiting hours were the same for everyone. The nurse said the visiting hours policy had recently changed. My wife said she feels the policy is discriminatory and petty and would mention it to CGC, CQC etc.: The nurse left my room, she returned to say she had spoken to her superior who said my wife can stay and visiting hours are now reverting back to the same for everyone? I was really pleased with this news as I was feeling a bit emotional.

My treatment at Springfield has been good, the staff are attentive and I praise and thank my Consultant. I do have concerns re private care and NHS integration. It seems the private hospitals benefit from the extra income it receives from the NHS however they don't seem fully committed to the aftercare or emotional support that people always receive within NHS hospitals. The lure of a quick initial appointment swayed my hospital choice. I do feel though that if a NHS procedure is carried out in a private hospital then so should the aftercare.

Southend A & E picked up the cost of my visit when really it was a Springfield matter. I have to ask myself is that fair considering the strain the NHS is already under.