"Paediatric Tympanoplasty"

I arrived at Ward 1B at early in the morning and, despite the number of patients waiting, was seen by ENT and the Anaesthesiologist within half an hour and taken through to the anaesthetic team 1.45 hours later.

The staff were all very patient and welcoming and explained the procedure fully to help settle my nerves.

The operation took 4 hours and Ms McAllister, my ENT surgeon, was there when I woke up along with my mum and dad, and she talked us through the operation and explained that it went very well.

This was very reassuring and I was quickly taken to another ward to come round.

The porter and a nurse from the recovery room took us to the ward and were very friendly and made sure I was settled before they left.

The nurses on the ward were so lovely and made sure I had everything I needed, including food and drink.

I was allowed to go home after 4 hours after my bandages and cannula were removed and final obs taken and I was provided with a wheelchair to get me back to the car in case I felt dizzy.

The discharge nurse explained how to look after the wound and advised who to contact should the it become infected along with advise of what painkillers to take and at what time when I got home.

I was very nervous when I arrived at the hospital and a bit upset, but the staff reassured me and my parents, the whole way through the process and we were all very grateful.

I cannot thank the staff enough for all their help. They were all very friendly and professional and an asset to the NHS. The only downside was the 2 year wait time for the procedure, but this is no fault of the staff and they should not be penalised for the failings further up the chain.

All NHS staff should he nurtured and listened to by their respective boards and Scottish Government. Particularly the voices of the frontline staff. Their input to the future of the NHS is crucial to its survival.

Innovation is the way forward and should be celebrated and not looked at as a tick box exercise or a budget line to cut to save on overheads.