"Frightened and angered by my husband's treatment at St. Richards"

My husband was admitted to the Treatment Centre at St.Richards Hospital, Chichester earlier this month. He had to be checked in by 7.15 a.m. He was put in a hospital gown an hour later, he wasn't allowed to wear his dressing gown because it wasn't sterilised. He was freezing cold as there was no heating so he was offered another gown.

His procedure was at 11.45 a.m. so from 8.15 until 11.45 he was in his hospital gown freezing cold, also in the operating theatre it was freezing cold, even the doctors and nurses that I saw were complaining. My husband had hemorrhoids removed, veins burnt by laser. He has a very bad heart condition and initially he was supposed to stay overnight but I got a phone call at 5 p.m. the same day telling me I could collect him.

I did this but when w got home he was in a terrible state. He couldn't stop shivering and shaking. I put the central heating on at full blast, covered him with blankets but he still shivered and couldn't speak properly. I was so worried; I thought he was having convulsions. This was all due to it being so very cold in the Treatment Centre. I had to do the work of a nurse which I am not trained for. I was very frightened because I didn't really know what to do. I was worried because of his bad heart. He was in a mess as well because of the operation, blood everywhere and I couldn't do anything as I couldn't lift him, nor could I take him to the bathroom. In fact, I was very worried to move him.

In my opinion he should have definitely been kept in overnight to receive professional help, I certainly wasn't able to do for him what a nurse could do. I feel so let down by the system, one night stay would have made all the difference and I am also so angry because of the lack of heat. He could have caught pneumonia. He is 71 years of age and deserved better care.