To ask anyone in the NHS how day surgery lists are determined?

I’m hoping that the silence means you have either settled in to something or surgery is happening / happened.
when you feel up to this, is write about your anxiety and desire for an autism assessment. Then book a gp appointment and hand it over. You can look up right to choose and the websites will tell you who is accepting adult autism referrals and the wait time. Write down the name and ask to be referred under right to choose. https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis/before-diagnosis/how-to-request-an-autism-assessment

https://adhduk.co.uk/right-to-choose/ - best resource for wait times and providers.

By the time time you read this, you might have already had your surgery, but just in case you're still waiting:

I worked in theatres and have had multiple anaesthetics. You'll be off to sleep very quickly and you won't be lying there waiting for it work. The staff will be kind, caring and professional.

Be aware that when you wake up, it might feel like no time has passed at all. There will be someone caring for you when you wake up. If you feel uncomfortable, tell them.

Then the relief will come - that the worry of waiting for this day is over. The surgery is over and done with and it's about recovering now. Take things very gently for the next few days.

It won’t feel like anything. One minute you will be awake and the next you - just won’t. You won’t know anything til you wake up in the recovery area.

When they take you down, you’ll go into the anaesthetic room. They’ll prep your skin and insert the line into the back of your hand. They anaesthetist will be talking to a member of the theatre team while they set you up. They will chat to you too and probably make a joke about feeling like you’ve had a drink, or ask you to count down from 10. You won’t get past about 7!

You won’t ’drift off’ like going to sleep. It’s more instant.

When you come round you might drift in and out a bit. You might be a bit trembly physically. You might cry a bit or feel emotional. That is all completely normal - I understand it might be uncomfortable for you but be reassured it’s just the anaesthetic after-effects and the nurses have seen it all before.

Good that you’re being done this morning, try and stay distracted with a book or something on your phone. You’ll be fine!

That does sound very irritating. Have you got headphones? Could you play something on your phone?

Ignore them, 99% of people have told you it’s absolutely fine and nothing to worry about at all. Your brain is trying to rationalise something you have no understanding of. Accept that that feels uncomfortable and then try and focus on something else.

I was recently in hospital and my bed was opposite the outpatients' bed bit. In that case, people were being admitted all through the day and were operated on in the order they arrived. Each of the 8 beds had 2 occupants during the day. Their discharge times varied hugely though, depending on how well they recovered. That seems a better system for the patient.

It doesn't feel like very much - within a few seconds sleepy and then it seems seconds before you are awake again.

You'll feel pleasantly sleepy within moments

And bear in mind they may take second patient out before first comes back

I think it a luck of draw. When I had my operation years, I was first on the list as they thought it would be straight forward, however my surgery took longer than anticipated.

They will go to recovery first , be woken up from a ga if relevant and given any pain relief. So by the time they reappear sleepy but comfortable.

It's good news the first patient has gone down now.

I know when waiting, four hours seems forever but hopefully it will go quicker than you think right now and ultimately that the operation goes well and helps you with what issues you were experiencing to need the op.

Anxiety is horrible. I experience it myself and do have a diagnosis of autism, so I get that feeling of needing to know what is going to happen and when - and also then trying to learn how to manage when we just can't have that.

You are doing well in updating here, I hope it is giving you at least a small amount of distraction.

Hope youre doing OK.
The waiting around is awful, but sounds like you'll be on your way this morning.

So you’re on the way now. Try to stay occupied and check in with the thread every now and then if it helps.

Well trust me, the first person on the list won’t be allowed to hold up the rest of the schedule. Your anxiety is making you home in on whatever can delay things for you, so try to focus and think rationally. How likely do you think it that the surgeon and the rest of their team will stand around indefinitely, twiddling their thumbs while their patient faffs about with their hair ? And depending on how critical a urine test is for the surgery if they continue to refuse it will either be dispensed with or they will be given their marching orders if they continue to refuse.

Might be quicker than you think - if there are only two before you on the morning list, you’ll hopefully be done and dusted early on so you can go home and rest up this afternoon. They usually like you to have something light to eat and drink when your surgery is done - tea and toast or a sandwich and they will want you to pee before they let you home. They will offer bottled water on return from theatre - take full advantage because dehydration will make you feel awful.

I would try to get hold of a nurse and explain how anxious you are and that you need something to calm you down. When l had day surgery last year a couple of people on the ward specifically asked and were prescribed something. Good luck, you’ll be absolutely fine. If you’re up to it check in with us later and let us know how you are.

But, OP, you said further up thread that you're on the morning list? So third should still mean you're seen this morning. Day surgery is for relatively short, not overly complex cases, so three cases are highly unlikely to take all day. I'm not clinical, but in my Trust, the morning list always appears to be done and gone by 2pm, which is when the afternoon list checks in. Good luck 🤞