"BMI Thornbury Mappin Ward - Lack of communication"

Having been admitted to Thornbury after an NHS referral for a coccygectomy I felt reassurred by the nurses that I dealt with. The Doctor was their usual aimiable and professional self however I have never felt so at unease and treated with such lack of respect my the aneasthatist that came to see me.

I advised them that I had issues with General Anasthesia and there had been problems on the last 4 occasions at The Barlborough with putting a canula in my hand due to a nervous vain and my anxiety. Their attitude was dismissive and rude and told me would I rather a general anaesthetic as if not I could chew on a rubber stick.

They did not take in to account I was already a nervous patient and when I was sedated did nothing to ease my nerves and inflicted a lot of pain on me. Indeed they did not return to the recovery room after my operation when requested by the recovery nurses to put another canula in to allow me pain relief stating that they wouldn't get another one in. Luckily the nurse very efficiently managed to put one in my other hand to allow me pain relief post op.

The nurses that evening and through the night on Mappin ward were however fantastic, helping me when I almost blacked out going to the bathroom and administering pain relief and reassurance.

Unfortunately that all changed when the shift changed over in the morning and I was rudely advised by a Health Care assistant to get out of bed and get showered as I was only booked in for one night. The doctor advised they were happy for me to go home if I felt up to it and that the nurses would provide me with dressings and advice on how to care for my wound.

The nurse that changed my dressing stated they didn't really know how to tackle the wound, still feeling very poorly and having a 2 hour journey to get home I spent all day until approximately 8pm asking whether I was/wasn't going to be discharged and had to chase constantly for drugs, dressings and advice from the physio as to what I could and could not do. Again the physio did not appear to know anything about my operation and advised me to do squats after having my coccyx removed...really?

From breakfast I was not offered a drink and given lunch but I felt it was begrudgingly.