Most of the patients were satisfied with
having their surgery carried out by day surgery, and they
were generally satisfied with the service provided by the
day surgery units/wards in the EHSSB area. However, the
Eastern Health and Social Services Council have made a number
of recommendations which the Trusts may wish to consider,
in order to further improve the service provided:
|
1
|
Green Park Healthcare
Trust may wish to examine why the percentage of arthroscopy
procedures carried out in the EHSSB area is less than
the percentage carried out in Northern Ireland overall. |
|
2
|
Although day surgery (rather
than an overnight stay) is the appropriate option where
patients meet the suitability criteria, patients have
the right to be involved in making this decision. |
|
3
|
Trusts where laparoscopic
sterilisations are carried out should ensure that women
who undergo this type of surgery are offered a choice
between having day surgery or staying in hospital overnight. |
|
4
|
Trusts where vasectomy
procedures are carried out should examine the reasons
why a high proportion of primarily young, healthy patients
are offered a choice between having day surgery or staying
in hospital overnight for their procedures. |
|
5
|
Trusts may wish to examine
why different types of anaesthetic are given to patients
who have the same procedures carried out. |
|
6
|
Trusts should check the
written instructions provided to patients - regarding
their suitability for day surgery and ensuring their
care following discharge - to make sure these correspond
to the guidance provided by the Royal College of Surgeons.
|
|
7
|
A number of Trusts - especially
Belfast City Hospital and the Mater Hospital - may wish
to look at how they can improve parking facilities for
day surgery patients. |
|
8
|
Trusts should make sure
that the directions to the day surgery units or wards
are well-signposted within the hospital grounds. |
|
9
|
Greenpark Healthcare Trust
and the Royal Group of Hospitals Trust should look again
at whether general wards are suitable for the provision
of day surgery (GUT: arthroscopy procedures; RGH: laparoscopic
sterilisations). |
|
10
|
Trusts should make sure
that comfortable seating is provided in the reception
areas of the day surgery units/wards. |
|
11
|
Trusts need to look at
ways of properly segregating, male and female patients
in the day surgery units/wards. |
|
12
|
Trusts should make sure
that all patients admitted for day surgery are given
the opportunity to talk to surgeons (and anaesthetists
where applicable) before their surgery. |
|
13
|
Hospital staff should
make sure that all patients - particularly those who
have sterilisation or arthroscopy procedures carried
out - receive adequate feedback after their surgery.
|
|
14
|
Hospital staff should
make sure that female patients, in particular, feel
suitably recovered before they are discharged home.
|
|
15
|
Before each patient is
discharged, the hospital staff should check that she
or he will be accompanied home and have a responsible
adult staying for 24 hours who can provide care if needed.
|
|
16
|
Staff in the hospitals
should make sure that every patient is given written
instructions on self-care before being discharged. |
|
17
|
Trusts where laparoscopic
sterilisations are carried out should look at ways of
reducing the amount of pain experienced by the women
after surgery. |
|
18
|
The day surgery survey
will be carried out again in 2004. The staff in the
Trusts should encourage more patients to take part in
the next survey (and in other surveys carried out by
the EHSSC), so that we can improve the response rate
we got in this survey (30%). |
