Share review of Queen Alexandra Hospital

Queen Alexandra Hospital 2019-03-01 Person 4 5 0

Arrived early in the hope of being on the list earlier but was kept waiting for 1.5 hours past the advised arrival time, in fairness it was detailed on the notice board as being up to 3 hours but the assumption is that no matter what time you arrive, the procedures are done either alphabetically or as per previously scheduled. Irrespective, the appointment paperwork does not mention this and the first you know is when you see the notice board. It is a small observation but knowing you could be there 3 hours would be useful in relation to personal planning etc. Within that time the necessary paperwork was completed professionally, then I was asked to go back to reception to wait to be called. Eventually and without prompting a member of staff said they'd check to see how long the wait would be, soon after I was called in for the procedure. The nurses and staff in the theatre were very courteous, ensured my dignity was respected, made sure that I was who they were expecting and that I understood what I was having done, with multiple checks to confirm. The procedure itself was done using gas and air, interestingly as soon as I started to use it the sound of the room became muffled and was replaced by a loud beeping which was a little disconcerting. The procedure itself was not at all uncomfortable and was over very quickly. I was then moved on the bed straight in to recovery, where I was given some water and left to dress. The bed was still quite high so I slid myself off the end to enable this. It is a minor observation but it may be better to ensure the bed is reduced down to make getting off easier, the sides were still up which I would expect for safety. There was a lot of lube therefore having some paper towel to clean up would have been useful. A Nurse then led me to the recovery lounge to sit and wait for the effects of the gas and air to subside and to fill out a form, I decided given I was still a little groggy to do online later. Soon after two Nurses asked me in to an office to discuss the results/possible aftercare and possible side effects of the procedure. This was clearly explained and I was then advised not to drive until 30 minutes after the procedure to allow for the gas and air to leave my system. Given the time had passed, I duly left. There is clearly a heavy workload in the unit and the staff all come across professional and clearly do the very best they can, the minor observations are purely that and I am sure if time allowed, they would action automatically. Thank you again to all those at the department for your care.