"not satisfied"

What I liked

The Surgical Centre is new, clean and well laid out

What could be improved

more staff

information regarding admission to the Centre as well the time of arrival, what to bring, not to bring, what was likely to occur following admision etc

Anything else?

I am writing to complain about the level of care I feel my daughter has received while a patient at QE Surgical Centre in Gateshead.

Firstly, we had no information regarding her admission to the Centre on the Saturday morning, other than she had to be there for 0745 hours, no lists of what to bring, nor what was likely to occur. We were particularly upset that I was not allowed to stay with her and ease her fears in the two hours before her surgery, consequently she felt upset and alone.

Following her operation, she was again upset that her father and I were not able to see her until visiting time - some 3 hours later.

On the Sunday (Day 2), her pain levels were a particular problem. She was not visited by her consultant nor even by a duty Doctor, in fact she was not seen by a doctor during her entire 3 day stay. I find this situation incomprehensible! The staff on the ward, while doing their best complained of being understaffed however, they frequently left her without medication past the required times. Consequently, she was finally Oromorph, a route she did not want to travel down as this meant that she had to stay an extra night in hospital. Many times i had to remind the nursing staff that she was due her medication.

The reason for the pain problem was that she was assisted out of bed (which I know is normal) but she should only have been sitting in her chair for a hour, but was left in the chair for over two hours and whilst her foot was propped up, it was not raised as had been advised by her consultant. Consequently when we arrived at visiting time I found her in great distress.

I have endured 12 operations / surgical procedures myself so am well used to Hospitals and their procedures, however, I don’t feel that this facility is particularly patient or family friendly.