"Replacement knee"

After a long wait I was contacted by the hospital in early December 2018 inviting me to be admitted on 24 December for my operation. Although it meant being an inpatient over Christmas I accepted.

My pre-op appointments were quick & ran smoothly without long waits and I was fully informed of the procedure & what it would entail. I was particularly anxious about having a spinal anaesthetic, but was reassured by staff regarding this.

The admission went smoothly and I was early going to theatre. Staff were pleasant and made me feel relaxed. The operation was successful and before i knew it I was back in Ward 22. Unfortunately I had a bad experience from the anaesthetic and was quite unwell for several hours. Nursing staff were kind, reassuring and looked after me, and helped me keep my dignity.

Next day I was Ok. As it was Christmas Day visiting was relaxed. Patients were given a small wrapped present and Christmas lunch was a pleasant traditional meal washed down with a fizzy grape juice. We had a cracker & Christmas napkin, and the festive spirit was transmitted to patients.

I was a patient for 5 days. A!though no one wants to be hospitalised over Christmas, the staff did their best to make our stay as pleasant as possible. The ward was always clean and patients were kept informed of treatment. The food was well presented and tasty with a good choice of menus.