Waiting for an operation in a waiting room...is this normal?

[richyclit]

So I had an operation and I was told to get in for 7am.
They took me in a room and gave me gown and socks
Then took me in a waiting room with 8 other people (all getting operations ) and we all sat there in our gowns on rock hard chairs.
There was a small tv in the corner.
I was last and sat there for 6 hours till 1pm

Is this normal ?
I thought you would be on a little ward.
When I woke up I was on a 6 bed ward for a hour before I was allowed home.
Wouldn't it make more sense just to let everyone sit on the bed rather than a waiting room.

Sounds similar to what I had but we were asked to take a dressing gown with us. The leaflet also requested that we have a bath or shower beforehand so I can only imagine the grim situations that caused this to have to be stated clearly.

I was also an unhappy and anxious mess, and the process / environment didn’t help, but I understand why it was that way. I ended up chatting to some of the lovely other ladies there.

The gowns are very exposing, I remember walking along in my gown and socks to go to the anaesthetic room and feeling like a gust of wind from a closing door would’ve caused a flash! Maybe another surgery ran over and they had to slot you in so you were waiting so long. I’m sure they must allow people to put on leggings or shorts along with the gown if they’re waiting for a long time, for warmth and modesty

We absolutely do get sheep like. We're indoctrinated with the idea that the NHS is wonderful and we must be grateful for everything they do, however they do it. We accept being spoken to dismissively and treated like dirt.

It might be normal for them to treat patients like this but it's very poor practice. We shouldn't just accept it.

I firmly believe that part of the reason we're put in gowns that expose us and made to sit and walk in them in public areas, is to humiliated us and keep us docile. It's hard to be assertive when you're forced to walk to the loo in a gown that shows everyone your arse, and it's easy for staff to talk down to a patient who is humiliated.

Sounds like I was very lucky. When I had day surgery on my nose earlier this year, I was shown into a cubicle with a bed and chair in, given the stuff to change into and was told I could wait on the bed or chair, whichever I chose. While I waited a nurse came round and did blood pressure and other checks, someone came to deal with all the forms and put in a cannula, the anaesthetist came round to ask some questions and explain what would happen, and the surgeon looked in. I stayed in the cubicle till I was called in for surgery and came back to it after I came round. They were again checking blood pressure etc and brought an ice pack to stop bleeding, and later brought a drink and sandwich. As I came to a bit more they encouraged me towards a reclining chair instead of the bed. They were careful to explain about after care and medication, and the surgeon looked in again to check. As my nose was still bleeding occasionally, when DH came to collect me they sent me home with a bowl, loads of tissues, more bandaging and plasters, and firm instructions to get in touch if the bleeding didn't stop or became worse.

I must say, I thought at the time I wouldn't really have done any better with private care, but we are lucky with our local hospital.

Exactly same when I had a knee replacement. Went in for 7am operation at 2pm so sat in waiting room for that long. It was boring but I played on my phone and chatted to other people.

When I had my cataracts out they put us in a cubicle with chair and bed so we could sit comfortable waiting not like what happened to u and I wasn’t seen to 2 pm so maybe not normal on every hospital

I had a heart procedure requiring an overnight stay recently. Same set-up, but just got taken to a ward from recovery.

My next door neighbour is a children's surgeon and he was prevented from operating throughout the entirety of covid "just in case" the ward beds were needed for covid patients. They still paid him a ridiculous amount to do nothing at home, but he was incredibly frustrated because his patient list was getting longer and what he does is incredibly specialist (less than a handful of people in the country have his skills).

The logic isn't there.

I have found that they give you two gowns now if you are in a space with other people. Wear them front and back.

When I had a colonoscopy recently you were in a changing room alone then called straight to the room but that was a dedicated colonoscopy suite. Completely fine!

When I had my hysterectomy on the NHS in 2015 I had to report for 9 am and I was eventually operated on at 11 pm. That was a nightmare due to fear, dehydration headache and general lack of care by the nurses. I did have a bed though. This was in a hospital where they admit all patients at one section of the hospital and you then proceed to the various theatres and to ward. It was a horrible experience.

I had similar over 20 years ago. Made to wait from 8 am until early afternoon with no explanation as to what was happening or when I would be seen.

Surely if they have a day's worth of patients and know that it could be several hours before some will be seen, they can either make you more comfortable or stagger arrival times.

But then again, unless people are kept captive and supervised, a lot won't be trusted to not eat and drink which could obviously cause significant problems later on.

@richyclit they do give you a dressing gown x

Yes, I was gowned up and sat in waiting room for several hours (there’d been an emergency). I wasn’t admitted into a ward until after my mastectomy.

This is standard practice but you should have a dressing gown over your gown or at least a second gown to wear over your back to make sure you are covered up. You should also be in a single sex waiting room.

They don't use the recovery bays because although they are empty at 7am, they are not empty from about 9.30 so you could have got settled in your space in the bay and then got moved out to allow a post operative patient in, which most patients wouldn't be pleased about.

I agree that the chairs that are used in the waiting rooms do need to be more comfortable and better quality.

staggering start times as routine means that the operating lists have to break to allow the surgeon and anaesthetist to see the patient and go through the consent process, which means that even less operating would get done. Most of us come in early (before our shifts officially start) to make sure lists get started on time and run through as smoothly as possible.

I was sat from 7am to 7pm (fasting from 6am) on a hard bench in a cubicle initially with maybe a dozen other people, in the end I was alone (must have been last on the list) and by then the whole area was deserted, All the clinics were finished and I think all the desk staff left at about 5pm, I was beginning to think I had been totally forgotten, Eventually a porter turned up to take me to surgery. It was a moderate op, prolapse repair and I was then taken to a ward overnight and discharged next afternoon. No food on the ward as it was too late when I got there at about 9:30pm, my DD had given me a slice of cake in a box in my bag which I was very grateful for!

I always bring a dressing gown. If they object I refuse to wear backless gown for ‘modesty’ reasons.
They always either let me wear my dressing gown or give me another gown to wear backwards.
You are absolutely entitled to keep your dignity in hospital and to refresh the staff’s memory about this from time to time.
I also explain about my spine problems and ask for pillows.
You have to advocate for yourself in hospital.

What does one wear under a gown? Can you wear your bra? Your pants?

Same here, we all got there at 7.30 am, sat in a room with hard chairs all day in the middle of summer. I was the last one to be taken down at 4.30pm.
The next day the midwife asked why I was dehydrated and tutted like it my fault. 😁

It's shocking. As I said previously I was the only one left and a cleaner came in to mop the floor. They had said to me that gynae were held up by an emergency admission but the two nurses who sat up the corridor just sat and yakked the whole time. Knowing you are going in for an emergency hysterectomy under the two week rule was bad enough. This wait was cruel.

Last time I was there it was arrive at 7am, sit till approx 11.30am, then get the gown on and sit in the waiting room with a few others until maybe 12.30am when they then ushered me into the anaesthatic area. So maybe an hour in the gown.

Sounds like yours got the gown on very early.

I had a wide excision op for a cyst on my tailbone it was day case but I was given a bed while I waited, which was all day like you.
I don't agree you were left in a robe, that's not good at all imo. I second a pp advised to bring a dressing down would be fine ! Maybe you could suggest that.
Rubbish they'd don't remove your endo either, don't let the gp shove you on codeine for years like they have me!!