"Excellent facilities and skilled qualified staff"

I had a total hip replacement on 19 October 2016.

The staff on the pre operative ward and in theatre were lovely.

The theatre staff were really supportive and compassionate. As the Anaesthetist and Surgeon were very skilled.

Recovery staff also excellent.

Facilities on ward A were wonderful. The large TV was so helpful as a distraction when I could not sleep at night and when I was in pain.

As i was told I was part of the enhanced recovery programme, the enhanced recovery nurses on the day all led me to believe that I would be getting up on the day of surgery.

However, without consultation or information, I was not got out of bed at all.

The physio grabbed my file left and never said anything.

I had significant pain in my calf as a result and when asked the 'nurses' if I could just put my legs out of bed or stand up because of the pain I was told it would be dangerous! My main issue about the running of ward A was the role of what I only later discovered were auxiliary nurses, as they all were in shades of blue I thought I was talking to nurses when in fact I was often talking to non qualified staff.

After visiting had ended on the day of surgery my pain started to increase in my calfs.

Over a three hour period from about 9pm I requested pain relief and spoke to five members of staff who I thought were nurses. I now think none of them were qualified nurses.

They told me the medicine trolley was on its way.

All five staff over the three hour period said the same thing.

When I said to the last auxiliary nurse that is what I was told over 2 1/2 hours ago they said nothing and told no one.

When the medicine trolley arrived around midnight they had not been informed by any of those five staff of my pain or request.

I was given pain relief finally.

But the pain had built up so much by that time that what they gave me was completely ineffective, but they could give me no more for a further two hours.

There seemed to be no plan b.

I was upset and distressed at what I saw as inadequate consideration and care .

I had a very distressing and uncomfortable night.

From 6am, I received effective pain relief.

Once I got up, the pain in my calf's subsided immediately.

Had I got up the day of surgery

I may not have had that pain.

The auxiliary nurses seemed to lack instruction and training.

I was told that unqualified staff are told not to tell patients requiring pain relief to wait for the trolley, they must instead inform a qualified nurse of the request.

However, that all five staff I spoke to said the same thing tells me that they are poorly trained in this area. Over the rest of my stay I had a further auxiliary nurse forget to pass on my request for pain relief.

Non qualified staff should not be called 'nurses' or be given uniforms that are also blue.

It is misleading.

The overuse of poorly instructed auxiliaries undermines your reputation and the work of qualified staff.

The new hip is fantastic!

Thank you Mr Rajpura.