"Cancelled Operation "

I was booked in to attend Ward 5 at Bradford Royal Infirmary at 11am as a day case.. Nothing to eat from 7am as I was having a general anaesthetic.

I arrived on time and was asked to sit in the waiting area at the end of the ward. My first impressions were not good - a large mixed ward with bays that had theatre trolleys not beds.

The set up seemed very disorganised, with staff unable to locate patients (they kept calling names of patients that weren't in the waiting area and walking away looking confused).

At 1300 (no communication whatsoever for 2 hours) my name was called by the nurse practitioner - I was led to an empty bay but this was just to sign consent and have my wrist band put on. Back to the waiting area.

At about 1345 I was taken to a side ward and thought things were finally improving.

The surgeon and anaesthetist came to see me and I put on my theatre gown and the nurse did some necessary pre-op preparation (not pleasant and invasive! ).

I watched patients go to theatre and return (often with confused looking porters who didn't know which bay to return the patient to).

At 1750 I went to the nurses station to ask if they had any idea when I might be going to theatre - I have to say the nurses looked surprised and asked my name and what was I having done. I was asked to go back to my bed and someone would come and talk to me - 5 minutes later the nurse came and said my op was cancelled.

I was told that the list had over run and they couldn't do my op - I was the only patient left to go to theatre.

I had no previous contact with the nurse that told me. I would have expected my named nurse or a senior member of staff to tell me.