"Faultless Staff, Shame About the System!"

Anything else?

I was scheduled for surgery at the Chedworth Suite last week, having had my Pre-Op-Assessment (including ECG) at the end of September. I was in my gown and stockings when the anaesthetist arrived. He looked at my ECG of 5 weeks earlier and realised there was a possible heart problem and it was agreed to postpone the date of this operation until I have seen a cardiologist (hopefully very soon). I find it hard to understand why nobody had looked at this ECG printout until the time of my operation was nearly there. If they had, this problem could have been resolved and I could still have had the scheduled date. As it is I feel that somebody else could have had that slot with all of my team, as well as my bed - what a waste of everybody's time, including the Pre-Assessment team. I am very relieved at the thoroughness of the anaesthetist, but it should never have got as far as that following the ECG of 27th September, As a result, I came home feeling incredibly stressed and depressed as well as alarmed about any possible cardiac problems. All the staff, from the admissions nurse to my surgeon, were absolutely lovely and couldn't have been kinder, but I feel that this should never have happened in the first place, and urge you to ensure that pre-assessments are actually checked out and acted upon. I would also emphasise what wonderful care and treatment I had during my previous visits to the Endoscopy Unit in the Oncology Centre. All I can hope now is that I get a speedy appointment with the Cardiologist to get sorted out so that I can then get back on the list for my original operation!