"Lack of communication from theatre staff"

I was admitted to Maroondah Hospital at 11. 10am, following their no eating or drinking policy from 7am. I have to compliment the admissions staff, they made me feel comfortable from the minute I walked in. As soon as they had information they passed this onto me, so around 2pm they told me that my surgery was 'on hold' as an emergency had come in.

Sitting in the waiting room, I was getting even more anxious as I had no idea whether my surgery was going ahead as time was getting on.

At 4pm I was told by admissions staff that someone would be up to talk to me.

At 5pm this person finally showed up and told me my surgery was cancelled due to lack of beds. By this time I was really upset as I had gone for 10 hours without food or water and very little communication. I said to this person that surely this information was known a few hours prior to him finally coming up to tell me officially and that I should have been informed well before 5pm. He agreed but also said he had just found out and that he was in fact in another theatre. I said surely someone else could have come to tell me this information and I could have gone home a few hours earlier. He apologised and said it shouldn't have happened.

I realise that surgeries are cancelled from time to time, but I firmly believe after having been through this that it is the lack of communication between patients and staff at hospitals that patients become agitated and a bit aggressive especially when they are following the no eating/drinking policy.

It is unfair to the patient who is already anxious about having surgery in the first place. I am really upset that I wasn't given the courtesy of being informed in a more timely manner.