"Our two year old son recently ..."

What could be improved

Our two year old son recently had an operation. The operation went well, the staff on the ward and the doctors were very polite and helpful. However, before our son woke from the operation, nobody had collected us so that we were there when he started to become conscious. We had been told that they would do. Instead, a nurse collected my wife after he had woken up. When my wife got to our son he was already very upset. This was no doubt partly because the drugs would not yet have worn off and he would have been feeling strange. However, I have no doubt that it was also because when he awoke neither my wife or I were there - a time when our presence might have settled him a little. As a consequence, since the operation our son has been clingy and has not wanted to go to bed and for the first two weeks frequently woke up screaming. I think this could have been avoided (or at least reduced) if someone had ensured we were there before he had woken up. We wouldn't even have minded waiting outside the theatre the whole time to facilitate this but as we were told someone would get is us we didn't. This should be easy to rectify but could have a significant effect on the well being of many patients and their parents