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.

It’s only Monday now is there a chance your friend will be better by then? If not I’d call the hospital and rearrange as you’d be wasting everyone’s time yours included jf you went with no one to pick you up

In Wales you could contact NEPTS: https://ambulance.nhs.wales/services/non-emergency-patient-transport-service-nepts/

Presumably there is a similar service in England?

quite a lot of eye surgery can be done without GA/sedation and may make discharge more realistic if it’s something very minor that can be done with a block or local (would need some planning though to make sure it’s a regionalist anaesthetist and would depend on exactly what the procedure is).

Worth knowing as well that nausea/vomiting isn’t wildly uncommon after some eye operations (particularly if it’s for a squint) so public transport even with a carer might not be much fun.

Probably best to try and speak to someone on the team who’ll be looking after you to work out what your options are based on the procedure/the risks of delaying/ your general health etc. If it has to be a GA and is a ‘proper’ operation the an overnight stay/postponing are probably your options.

re the idea of lying and then self discharging as pp seems to be suggesting - we do have a duty to care to patients who’ve had drugs/procedures that might impair their capacity or make them more vulnerable, and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they’d contact the police to check up on welfare if they were really concerned that someone had just gone awol. Worth thinking about how many drunk drivers think they’re fine behind the wheel…. they’re not best known for their excellent judgement and it’s not a million miles away from that sort of scenario. To get a train home alone needs quite a bit of brain to make sure you pick the right train, don’t fall asleep and miss your stop, don’t get your purse nicked, don’t fall off the platform, don’t pick the wrong ‘helpful’ stranger to help you out. HCPs might sound like disasterisers sometimes, but it’s usually based on experience!

Could you stay at a hotel near the hospital and travel home the next day, or is that a stupid idea?

You shouldn’t feel bad asking a friend to collect you - I’m sure you’d do the same for them. (Says me that hates asking for help!)

Have you considered one of the care agencies or asking on 'neighbourhood' (app) if you asked on mine & we're prepared to pay you'd be inundated with offers.

I'm not well enough myself to offer or I would as I know how difficult these arrangements can be.

i have found a volunteer service locally called 'x village neighbours' & they do transport for hospital/GP/other medical things, if you 'qualify' (you would) & they run on donations, with a suggested £ fo cover the drivers fuel. I think if you were desperate they'd find a driver happy to do that distance.

so try googling your local area + volunteer drivers or ask at your GP surgery.

good luck!

But if she has capacity and understands fully the risks of declining an overnight bed and leaving under her own steam then you can’t stop her.

OP however the bit that is possibly more concerning is you being a carer for someone else that night. If you are sole carer then it could be considered a safeguarding risk if you are post op and in that role.
Only you would know how big a risk that bit is. Are you a paid carer eg receiving carer’s allowance?

I would either try to book a paid carer/ ask any friend that may be available or phone to reschedule. Some eye operations can be done without GA which might be an option, but I’m assuming there’s a reason they suggested that/you chose that. They will ask who’s collecting and hand you over to them so if no one’s there they might ask you to stay in the ward overnight. People can have very varied reactions to the drugs and you might become unwell during the journey so I wouldn’t risk it. You don’t want to end up getting dizzy and falling over or vomiting on the train.

Hospital transport doesn't have a distance limit.

I have had GA twice and neither time would I have managed to get a train home nor would I have managed care for someone else. If they need you overnight, you probably need someone else for them. I know a couple where she was at one time an ambulatory wheelchair user and he was blind and they were each other's carers but in your position if they need overnight care I'd say you can't do that

If someone else can do the care at home, you can be admitted.

As PP said, your GP might know of a Good Neighbours scheme nearby. Your local library might know, too, or the Council.

Alternatively you could try your local church, who might either know of a scheme or find a volunteer, although it's getting quite short notice now.

Try Driving Miss Daisy. They are a private hire taxi service that specialize in hospital transportation. They also will attend hospital admissions and appointments. Not cheap, but might be your best option.

But it’s not the OP who judges if she has capacity. It would be the HCPs. As a PP pointed out, people may think they are fine to drive after a couple of drinks. Until they’re not and something goes wrong.

Have a look for a local carer/PA group on Facebook and see if you can find a freelance carer from your town to come and collect you and drive you home. Lots are insured to use their cars for business use

If you're willing to pay why not offer to pay a friend?

A real friend would take a day off and drive you anyway, but offer to pay and they may do it.

Thank you everyone.

Yes, it is squint surgery, @Greybeardy, and I hadn't thought about dizziness/nausea. The surgeon definitely wants to do it under a general anaesthetic. I certainly don't want to make it difficult for any hospital staff, or end up arse over tit on the station platform. So will rethink.

I had a short tooth operation. The person accompanying me home had to be present before they started so there is no way I could have just left afterwards if he wasn't there.
I also lied about the 24 hour thing as I didn't one that friend staying over night. They did ask about it.

You could ask on Facebook on the Cheltenham noticeboard. They might have some local ideas there.

We got stuck once when I had a big meeting at work and my husband had some minor surgery.

I hired someone on Taskrabbit to go with him, wait, and go with him home in a taxi and make sure he was settled. I got home 90 minutes later.

I felt like wife of the year (not!), but he was mostly annoyed at the fuss the surgery was making.

In general, Taskrabbit app is great when you are stuck for these weird kind of situations.

I had a very short procedure under general anaesthetic earlier this year and I needed someone to stay with me for two nights after as it really affected me unexpectedly.
if I were you OP, contact the hospital asap and see if you can stay overnight.

There are good voluntary services around Cheltenham I believe, so I think you should be able to access volunteer community transport. Call them ASAP in the morning.

Couple of links here:

https://peoplefirstuk.co.uk/transport-support-services/

https://communityconnexions.org.uk/transportation-services/

https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/transport/community-transport/

Know anyone with student age children? Ideally one that drives.

Theyre generally keen on beer money and bored this time of year