Someone to collect me after general anaesthetic in Cheltenham on Friday: how?!

[AnyoneInCheltenham]

Having a light general anaesthetic for a minor day case operation on Friday in Cheltenham. The friend who was going to collect me is now ill, so I’m stuck.

I just need someone to meet me at the ward so that they can release me. I’ll take the train home. Anyone willing (happy to pay) or have any ideas?

Home is 1.5 hours drive away so it’s a big ask for friends and everyone I could ask is at work anyway.

If I turn up with nothing in place they will likely cancel my surgery.

You need a responsible adult with you for the first 24hrs.

Tell the surgeon you do not have this and they may get you a bed on a ward for the night rather than cancel your operation.

A friend was in this situation - no one to collect and alone at home so she was left overnight in the ward. She actually preferred to stay.

A friend was in this situation - no one to collect and alone at home so she was left overnight in the ward. She actually preferred to stay.
Sorry for double post - internet problems.

Thanks. Should have said, I have someone at home (but they can't collect me).

It seems crazy to have be admitted to a ward for the sake of someone to see me to the train. At my pre-op they emphasised that it would be cancelled.

There’s no such thing as a light general anaesthetic (the depth of anaesthesia is the same….the cumulative dose of anaesthetic is lower for short procedures).

It isn’t just ‘the anaesthetic’ that means patients should have support… the procedure for which the anaesthetic is being done is important too.

Where patients have no one at home to support them then overnight admission can be sorted…but they do need to know ahead of the time. If it’s the journey home that’s the problem but there is someone who can play cater, then occasionally taxis can be persuaded to be the sensible adult (or perhaps whoever’s at home could get a taxi in and then home with you). Getting a train solo after surgery sounds like a really bad idea!

If it's just transport cant you book a taxi ?

Thanks, @Greybeardy. The surgeon's secretary described it as a "very light GA", so it must be the length of the procedure as you say. She also told me I could get the train home alone. It was only at my pre-op that I was told I needed a companion, and that I couldn't leave in a taxi alone.

My person at home couldn't physically manage a three-hour round trip in a taxi, apart from the cost. I'm her carer so actually can't stay away over night.

Agree with @Greybeardy that if you need someone with you for first 24 hrs I would ask whoever’s at home to come in a taxi to collect you.

I would go with the pre-op nurse’s opinion more than the secretary’s.

you cannot be the sole carer for another person after surgery.

(Doi fwiw, am an anaesthetist)

Oh definitely! After my pre-op I arranged a friend to collect me, but she's now ill. It's all been a bit of a muddle.

I can get someone else to be at home with us, it’s the hospital end of things that I’m stuck for.

Now I will say I have never had a general anaesthetic before, but I’ve watched DH and 2 of my children recover and there is no way in this world any of them were good for anything after a general anaesthetic. Have you had one before? I don’t think you will be able to care for anyone for at least 48 hours.

Yes, had one for an appendectomy, @PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister and was absolutely fine. No ill-effects at all. Realise that's no guarantee this time of course.

Can you wait in the hospital discharge area until someone comes when they've finished work?

Would they arrange hospital transport for you on the basis that you will have someone at home, they just cannot collect you?
I've had GA once, short procedure , and felt extremely unwell for a couple of days.

Could you put it on airtasker or task rabbit? Offer to pay them obviously. I'm sure someone would do it from one of those sites.

Doesn’t the hospital offer transportation? You may have to wait but usually they have transport to run patients home who don’t otherwise have transport.

I know this is not at all ideal and the best situation would be for someone to collect you, but if the situation really is that there is no one to collect you then you do know they can’t actually refuse to release you. Having someone pick you up is guidance, best practice and what they would like to happen. But if you just stand up and walk out then they can’t prevent you from leaving, you are a patient not a prisoner.

When I had DD and they said they were ready to discharge, I called a taxi. They asked if someone would be collecting us and I said “Yes the taxi driver” and left. When I had eye surgery with sedation I did the same thing, the same thing again when I had hand surgery as a day case and when I was discharged following a 5 day stay due to a emergency gallbladder removal.

I would recommend a taxi or uber rather than train travel if you can, but I’m not sure what procedure you’re having so don’t know how careful you have to be about getting jostled.

I (obviously) know you're not a baby, but could you look for a babysitter in the area? If you explain the situation to them, sounds like something that someone who's set up for pay-by-the-hour could do.

I've had one GA surgery, my DH definitely wasn't asked any questions when he picked me up, so I don't think they'd have to commit to going all the way home with you.

It's that they need a chaperone. Even if they did get a transport.

Could you try something like a babysitting service? Or these people? It looks like you can hire a carer on an hourly basis Cheltenham carers.

When I had surgery abroad I put a notice on the forum at the local medical school for someone to collect me and drive me to the airport. You could try a local college as well?

Anothee anaesthetist. With the greatest respect a secretary isn't medically trained. I wouldn't be letting you get the train home alone that far. I'd be requesting an overnight bed/postponing you, sorry, the day surgery criteria are there for a reason

Thanks everyone. Some good ideas.

I don't think I can ask for hospital transport as I'm 1.5 hours away.

I'll look at the other suggestions.

It's eye surgery and thanks to pp's advice I'm realising that the train is possibly not a good plan. The secretary being so relaxed about me doing that did puzzle me slightly at the time, but I thought she must know.

Yeah, we cant stop you self discharging, but we can refuse to anaesthetise you. I've done that to a man planning on driving himself home post op. Refused to proceed until his daughter was present as overheard his plans to bypass the rules

I had surgery for cataracts once under general, really poor care in that no one bothered telling me all this - that I needed to have someone look after me for the first 24 hours etc. (v expensive private hospital ftr) I think my husband picked me up and took me home, but I felt fine (and knew no different) so went around my normal routine of picking up my small children from school. It was only later that evening when I opened up the envelope they had given me with the eye drops and so on that I saw this post op information.

Anyway point being that I felt absolutely fine after the GA. But of course everyone is different.

Are there any taxi drivers you can arrange to come and in and get your from the hospital?

Thank you, @Destiny123. Quite amazing to have two anaesthetists pop up within an hour to offer advice! Yay for Mumsnet.