On arrival at the Day Unit / Ward please report to the reception desk / nurses station.
You will be given an admission time by which you should arrive at hospital. This is not the same as the procedure time. A doctor will discuss your operation with you and you will be asked to sign a consent form, if you have not already done so. If you require either a local or general anaesthetic, an anaesthetist will see you before your operation to discuss your anaesthetic.
Each theatre session is four hours long and someone will unfortunately have to be last on the list. You should allow to be on the day surgery unit / ward area between two to six hours after surgery for recovery. Pre-assessment will advise you on how long you are likely to be in the department after your procedure.
Any advised timings will be indicative. Please remember that the exact time an operation starts is dependent on the other procedures on the list first and this can sometimes cause delays. Recovery time may also vary. Not all patients react to anaesthetic in the same way and some patients may take more or less time than others to recover.
Will my friend/relative be allowed to stay with me?
Unfortunately we are not able to accommodate any other people in this area except patients and patient’s carers. Your relative, friend or partner may escort you up to the admission unit and they will be contacted when you are ready to go home. There are restaurant and café facilities onsite for your relatives to wait, these are well signposted and you can ask the staff for directions.
Children should not be brought onto the unit as they can become unsettled and disturb patients and staff. If you have dependent children please make alternative arrangements to have them cared for.
Certain circumstances may lead to some delays in surgery being performed. If this happens, we will do our best to keep you and your relative, friend or partner well informed.