"A first hand experience of the best and the..."

I was as an emergency admission for gall bladder problems. I know and understand the strains the service is under so was delighted to be triaged within 20 minutes but not surprised by the 2 hour wait on a trolley in a corridor to go to Majors or the 2 and a half hour wait to go to St Mawes. I was prepped the next morning for surgery which was cancelled at lunch time. I was prepped the following morning for surgery which was cancelled at 16.30. I was having problems with a cannula staying in any of my veins due to dehydration and was rapidly running out of areas they could try. I was then moved from St Mawes to Theatre Direct with no notice due to the volume of patients coming through.

I was prepped for theatre the following morning only for the surgeon to come around at lunch time to say they were unsure whether they would be able to get to me after all but I would be done some time this week so would be prepped again the next morning if I wasn't done later this day. At this point i had a minor melt down and explained that i had now had 7 cannula attempts all of which had failed at some point and being nil by mouth meant that i was still dehydrated so i felt i was in a vicious circle, and then on top of it all, there was the pain from my gall bladder which had brought me in in the first place. The surgeon then explained how the hospital had been closed last night, how patients had been diverted to Derriford and how the more serious cases had to take priority. I undersrand all if this very well and am symaphetic to the constraints of the hospital but i needed a clearer plan of my care. I was too serious to go home or to be operated on at West Cornwall but not serious enough to be operated on within a certain time frame. The only solution to any of my issues was that someone would come from vascular to put a line in me to solve the cannula problem. The nursing staff on Theatre Direct were fantastic and gave me the reassurance and comfort I required at this point. For reasons unknown to any of us, half an hour after being told it looked probable I would be cancelled I was taken to Theatre for my op. A huge thanks to the theatre team who were so caring and to the nurses who was so reassuring I felt calm within no time. My post op care on Theatre Direct was excellent and would like to thank the guys from the person who brought our meals who made sure I had bit of something to eat even if I didnt feel up to eating a meal.

I have watched the struggle that is the everyday reality for Treliske and the NHS and I have experienced the headline making problems such as waiting on a trolley in a corridor in ED and being cancelled 2 times but I cannot praise the care

I received from the nursing staff enough.

I could focus on all of the negatives but the negatives I experienced were out of the control of the people looking after me and it it these people who worked tirelessly throughout my stay that I wish to thank.