"Day Care Surgery visit July 2014"

Once I had got beyond the waiting room at the day-care surgery unit, everything clicked into place brilliantly. The professional staff encountered (surgeon, anaesthetist and ward nurse) were excellent, friendly and genuinely concerned with my well-being, maybe having picked up on my nervousness at being there (white coat syndrome). Both the Surgeon and the Anaesthetist explained everything with precision and sensitivity. The ward nurse (sorry if title is wrong) was particularly kind, considerate, professional, attentive and supportive even though I was the last patient in the ward at 8pm. As it's only the next day, I have no idea about the efficacy of the operation as yet, but am writing about the experience. The waiting room however, was not favourable. It was extremely hot and as my appointment was for 12pm (nb. as pointed out in my letter and notices around, this is not the timing of the operation) and I did not go into the pre-op ward until around 4.30pm. As things appeared to be alphabetical and my surname is a W, it would have helped greatly to have come in at say 3.00pm and only had a mere 1.5 hour wait in the sweltering room. There was also a lack of information regarding this and the overall effect of heat, no food since 07.00, no drink since 11.00 and sitting for 5 hours (I got in at 11.30) arguably contributed to raising my blood pressure and making me feel nauseous to a level that could quite easily have forced the op to be cancelled. However as I said, once through the Day Surgery unit door, everything clicked into place. I hope the waiting aspect will be improved on.