"Below average pre-operative care"

I saw a consultant in advance of an operation to release a trapped nerve which I'm still waiting to be scheduled. He was obviously in quite a rush to get through the appointment and gave me very little information about the procedure and the recovery period. I was trying to ascertain how much time I might require off work so I could provide my employers with as much notice as possible, however, this was not covered despite my asking the question specifically. I was also not advised that I would need post-operative physiotherapy. The male nurse who saw me to go through details of the anaesthetic helped to fill in many of the gaps but made it clear that this was the consultant's job but was something they rarely carried out. I wasn't given an operation date and have tried to obtain one since the visit without success - apparently the surgeons will take lots of holidays in February and March but as I've been seen by a consultant I assume I'm no longer on the waiting list so not a priority. All in all the overall impression I got of the department was that it was poorly managed and it did not fill me with confidence about having my operation there.