I was admitted to East Surrey Hospital on at the beginning of may 2013 for a total hip replacement and I can't speak highly enough of the treatment I recieved. The Doctors, Nurses and all the physio staff were absolutely brilliant. I made such good progress that I was discharged just 48 hours after surgery. I was taken down to the Discharge room to await transport home, and what a ghastly experience it was. After waiting for 2 1/2 hours I desperately needed the toilet, so made my way to the only one I could see. The door was so heavy that I was struggling to hold it open with one crutch whilst getting myself through the doorway, and to my horror I saw that there was no raised toilet seat or grab handles. By this time I was comitted to using the toilet or having an embarassing mishap, so with a considerable effort and pain I succeeded. The toilet itself was filthy, with excrement on the seat and soiled paper on the floor and the smell was extremely foul. When I managed to extricate myself from the room I reported it to a member of staff who was totally uninterested, considering the hospital had five wards shut due to norovirus I consider the whole episode disgusting. I decided that there was no way I was going to remain in that awful discharge room waiting for transport so I rang for a taxi myself. Trying to persuade someone to help me to the entrance was not easy and eventually I was wheeled outside and left, surrounded by my bags, crutches and raised toilet seat to await my taxi. It was a struggle to get in the taxi but I managed it, I was fuming, frustrated and in some considerable pain and just wanted to get home. Something really ought to be done about that Discharge room and toilet, perhaps the local paper might like to hear about my experience.
"Problems with discharge area after a hip replacement"
About: East Surrey Hospital / Trauma and orthopaedics East Surrey Hospital Trauma and orthopaedics Redhill RH1 5RH
Posted by daphnegrace (as ),
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