"Post-Op Care in RHH"

Post Op care is just as important as the operation itself and maybe in fact more important from the patient's veiwpoint! Unfortunately our NHS system doesn't seem to have grasped it as I experienced during my stay at hospital. It was a fairly regular procedure but I wasn't told what to expect after the surgery and no one spoke to me about it once I came to from my GA despite my requests. I'm a GP myself and this kind of follow-up was surprising to me! The 3 women on my ward were all left with their questions and their own thoughts and one was eventually visited by an SHO just before their duty finished since she had complications! (One would expect a much quicker follow-up for complications!) As I sat there listening to her cry and waiting for someone to speak to me, I realised we were more or less abandoned by everyone as time wore on! To begin with I was scheduled for surgery early in the morning and was told nil by mouth since the previous midnight, but the actual surgery took place at 1pm (6hr delay), I was starving when I came to at 2.30pm and they hadnt taken any orders for lunch and dinner so I was left with no food for the rest of the day! (that's no food for 34hrs straight till brekkie at 8am next morning) I had to call someone to get me a something to eat from the inaccessible outside world or just starve. I was told the next morning by one of the nursing staff that since I had no complications no doctors would come round and I could go home when I felt like it! Very good, but what about aftercare?? No one knew! It would indeed be very helpful if patients got a little more attention from the medical staff during that confused and uncertain time and it would go a long way in developing goodwill between doctors and patients!