"0730 appointment delayed by 4 hours"

Many thanks for taking the time to share this feedback and I apologise for the delay in replying. We were surprised to learn that you had been requested to arrive at 7.30am as the usual time is 8.00am for outpatient surgery – our matron is following this up with the team to make sure that correct information is being sent out, and we apologise that you were asked to arrive at this time. The reason patients are asked to arrive early for outpatient surgery is to allow the surgical team to work as efficiently and safely as possible when surgery gets under way. Before seeing any patients, the surgeon, anaesthetist and theatre nursing staff will meet as a team to review the entire list for that session – with the certainty that patients are in the waiting area and ready for their surgery. The team will go through the clinical needs and any issues for each person and agree the order in which patients are brought in to theatre. It means that when surgery starts for that day – and clinical staff are then occupied doing their different roles and caring for individual patients – the team has met together and is prepared in advance for all those coming into surgery during the morning. Although it can seem a long time for people to wait for their minor surgery, it means that the theatre can be run effectively and safely, and the clinical team is well-briefed on their patients’ needs. I hope that is helpful information. Thank you again for sharing your feedback. Best wishes The team at Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust