"Total knee replacement surgery"

I have been very impressed with the level of care I have received at Nottingham circle. I have had 2 problems during my treatment- both of which appear to have been beyond the control of the hospital. On my initial visit, my X-rays were unavailable so I essentially had a wasted trip which is frustrating when you have to book time out of work. This is only a minor inconvenience but it does seem avoidable to me. The second issue was far more concerning. I was booked for admission for surgery at 12:30 on Monday 26th February 2018. I had fasted since 06:30, and stopped clear liquids at 10:30. On admission, the friendly staff said I was allowed one hot drink and a glass of water as the anaesthetiist had agreed to this. I was sharing a room with a lady who had been admitted just prior to me. We settled in and started our wait. After a couple of hours we asked if there was an approximate surgery time, but nobody seemed sure. Pam was taken down and I thought I would go soon after. As expected I was taken down to the theatre area. I waited, for what seemed a long time, before being taken down to a room for anaesthetic. I was spoken to by a very nice doctor but I could sense unease behind the small talk. He kept popping out of the room to see if everything was ready. I knew something wasn’t right, but very surprised when the surgeon informed me that there was a problem with the equipment and that my surgery was cancelled. I then was returned to the side room to wait for someone to repeat the same apology and assure me that an investigation would take place. At this point, I don’t think I even responded. I had not eaten for 11 hours, had barely slept the night before, and could feel the effects of excess Adrenalin coursing through me. I was given a new surgery date - Wednesday and returned to the ward. The staff there were very shocked and did their absolute best to look after me but I just wanted to go home to bed, which is what I did shortly after.

I returned to the hospital on Wednesday and my surgery went ahead successfully. I cannot praise the SSU staff enough- they were so supportive. The lovely ladies who looked after me during that first night were so encouraging and respectful; they had just the right mix of “Bless you” and “just got to grit your teeth and get through it”! Two members of staff are fantastic at getting you up and about and keep you well fed! I was most impressed with the mutual respect and cooperation I witnessed in this team; I work with a large workforce and know just how difficult this can be to maintain. I watched them switch roles seamlessly, dealing with 2 emergencies as well as a busy ward. They had a really good mix of banter and efficiency- getting the job done but ensuring that their patients were always treated with a human touch. Despite my considerable problems, I would return here for surgery and am likely to do so in the near future.