"Everyone was lovely and determined to do a good job"

I went into Claremont Hospital which is a private hospital, but as an NHS patient to have knee replacement surgery. I was fairly reconciled to this having known that I had deteriorating osteo arthritis in my knee for several years. The consultations prior to my surgery were excellent, very prompt and the consultant Mr Paul Sutton, gave very clear information about the surgery and the various options.

We are now two months post surgery which feels like a good time to feedback about my experience. I was left with a really positive experience of just about every member of staff that I met, all were really caring and did a good job. However I also felt that there were things that could have been better particularly in regards to a joined up approach to my care. Examples

1. The nurses on the ward allowed me to mobilise on the day of surgery in ways that seemed to take aback the physiotherapists the next day. I was fine with it, but there did not seem to be a consistent message on that first day about what it was safe for me to do.

2. Information was generally good, but was given at odd times. I was given a leaflet to be read before surgery, after the surgery. And at times the information seemed to be badly laid out and not desperately user friendly.

3. I was given information about listening to music or something during surgery ie taking in headphones etc. But when I asked about this before going down I just was told that there would probably be music in there in quite a dismissive way. Actually I lay there mostly in silence apart from a lovely chat with the anaesthetist. It did not bother me but I can imagine it bothering others.

4. I was given precise information about the checks that would happen post surgery and they did happen but the nurse on nights seemed very over run and they felt short staffed. I would not criticise her in any way though, she was lovely just very, very busy.

5. My work involves looking at feedback and I found the approach to feedback was haphazard. The physios, who I have to say both on the ward and after were excellent, were a bit embarassed when they had to ask me themselves for feedback about how they did. I was hardly likely to be too critical lying there in bed. There were lots of feedback information lying around no one at any point suggested I did anything with it.

But there you go this is me being picky, because from receptionist to the nursing staff, to physios, to the theatre staff particularly pre and post surgery everyone was lovely and determined to do a good job.

Thanks a lot-happily starting to play frisbee with my children in the park. Good Times