"Gastroscopy at Perth Royal Infirmary"

I was asked to arrive at 8am, and waited in a small waiting room for over an hour. I was then led into another room in which I was asked a number of questions regarding my medical history (with door open and other people waiting right outside! ). I then waited another almost 2 hours to be seen. During this time various patients came and went and I could probably recite their medical histories as it was so clear to hear and there was no other background noise to muffle it.

However, once taken in for the gastroscopy, the nurses could see I was nervous. I asked if they would consider doing the procedure with no anaesthetic spray or sedatives, they agreed to give it a go. The lady who did the procedure and the nurse taking care of me were absolutely phenomenal, massively reassuring, very efficient, explained clearly to me what was happening, how long it would take, how it might feel, and I definitely felt they had listened to my wishes.

They told me what they found, what they thought and how that related to my symptoms, they explained when they were taking a biopsy, why they took it, what it was tested for and when I would get the results.

I was really pleased with the way I was treated during this procedure, but as with many procedures, waiting makes it a much more frightening and isolating experience, especially when you feel you have little or no privacy, as well as no idea how long you will wait!