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

[ScuderiaSedici]

As above

They usually tell you when you have to fast from. Last time it was midnight for me and the pre op staff told me to eat something just before, toast or something light.

Sorry I’ve just read your replies and I can understand why you’re stressed. If it helps, here are the timings from my surgery last week (I was in the day surgery unit but had an overnight stay)

12pm - admitted, they ticked my name off the list and asked me to sit in the waiting room
12.20pm - anaesthetist came to see me, said I was first on the list, asked me some questions
12.30pm - admission questions, lasted about 30 minutes, a lot of stuff repeated from pre op so don’t worry! Got changed into compression socks and gown
12.40pm - visit from surgeon
1.15pm - walked to surgery

I wore deodorant no issue, I also wore face cream and some cocoa butter as I have dry skin! I also wore my earrings and they covered them with tape, my surgeon did my procedure first as more complex and worked to simplest procedure last. Everything was timed well and nothing overran. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! Good luck x

If you've read all of the OP's answers, you'll see she's not really asking for advice or experience, she isn't even asking for answers, what she really wants, is to be seen first because in her eyes, she matters more than anyone else and she shouldn't have to pay for the fact other people are less healthy than her and have more complex surgeries, oh and also because she pays taxes. She just wants control over everything and can't bear the thought of not eating for a few hours in a row, because she just doesn't want to.
Her level of self awareness and humility is zero, so whatever anyone says is falling on deaf ears.

What a bloody stupid thing to say.

Op, you are being ridiculous and entitled. If you want to call the shots, go private. If you're using the NHS, you'll abide by their way of doing things.

Day surgery can be the luck of the draw, and then there's a possibility all operations are cancelled due to an emergency. It's just one of those things.

What an overly entitled attitude. Firstly you’re on a morning list - no one is leaving you until 6pm so calm down. Secondly if you are so worried have a snack late at night - one minute you talk of gorging on food the next about starving. Thirdly it is a clinical decision about what goes first so you just have to suck it up.

it’s also incredibly crass talking of starving when you are being asked to skip breakfast at a time when 2 million people are being deliberately starved and babies are dying of starvation.

This is just nonsense, you're catastrophising (aka: making stuff up).

I've been in day surgery, twice that I recall I was on the morning list, once the afternoon. All "simple" cases. Both the morning ones I was in recovery by lunchtime, the afternoon one I was late on the list (around 3pm, list started at 2pm, but I had to be there at 1pm I think) but was still home around 6pm.

If you're on the morning list and not in until 6pm then something out of people's control has gone badly wrong and you should just be grateful it's not you suffering the potentially fatal consequences of that. You're just a bit hungry.

Pop a KitKat in your bag for after you come out. You'll probably be out by 10am wondering why you worked yourself up so much.

Husband needed surgery after an accident. I sat with him all day, went home at 7pm. He didn’t go in to theatre till 10.30pm. Theatres have so many variables to manage, please just let them work in the way that they know makes best use of time and other resources while keeping people safe. Yes you might be uncomfortable. Yes the thought of surgery is stressful. One day, to make a big difference in your life.

Well it’s today. I’ve never felt this anxious in my life, but I did manage to go to sleep without crying 😂

Well done op il be thinking of you. Im going to work this morning and im sure when I get back this afternoon it will all be over. Good luck not that you need it you will be absolutely fine. You got this xx

I hope it goes smoothly today, OP.
When you arrive, I suggest asking one of the staff to talk you through what is likely to happen today, what the variables are and what you can & can’t do. They will be used to having patients who are ND and certainly used to patients who are nervous.
If you haven’t already left, unless your letter says something about what you should or shouldn’t take, make sure you’ve got your phone, headphones, charger, are wearing comfortable clothes and are wearing layers as, whilst hospitals are often boiling, they can be freezing in places too. If you need to take something for you hands to do, then do. And perhaps a blanket or shawl so that you can wrap that around you & create a bit of a cocoon for yourself which might help you to feel that you can block out the other people. Or perhaps you might like to wear a hoodie and have the hood up. Even if I’m waiting somewhere like A & E, I find it easier if I can make my space mine and block out others

It’s bloody freezing! I grabbed my jumper last minute and im glad I did. My mum thinks she saw where they signed me in that im 5th or 6th on the list, but I didn’t get the chance to ask

Good luck today OP. I would try to explain (or ask your Mum to if you would find it difficult) about the high level of anxiety you are experiencing when the doctor and anaesthetist come round.

Even if they can't change your place on the list, it may be that you can be kept more in the loop and also I don't know about pre meds for day surgery but maybe they can.

Wishing you all the best.

I’m last on the list. My mum asked at reception as she left and they told her I was “third”, so she text me that. Then of course the anaesthetist turned up and told me that third is actually last. Fun

Is that last this morning though OP ? There will be more than three people waiting for surgery surely and if you’re last on the morning list you won’t be waiting all day, as you had feared. Did you ask the anaesthetist about prescribing something to ease your anxiety ?

I’ve told everyone I’m anxious but they’ve not offered to prescribe anything - I’ve been given paracetamol and omeprazol. There’s a “kid” (17) and a woman with heart issues before me, so I don’t have high hopes

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 🤞

I hope so, but the anaesthetist and consultant have both told me im in for a long wait. It doesn’t help that the person first on the list is refusing to do the urine sample, and is getting her mum to French plait her hair now!

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.

It feels like everyone has just disappeared from the waiting area, I’ve run out of water and I don’t know who to ask

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.

First person has been taken down, so I guess im about four hours out now

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

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

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.