"Hospital Stay at Gippsland Base Hospital, Sale"

I recently had an operation at the Sale Hospital. All went very well, my surgeon was so helpful and explained all the procedure to me. Followed up that night, calling in to see how I was.

Two weeks later I had an infection. I went back to Sale Hospital, saw my surgeon without having to wait too long in emergency.

Before my surgeon, I saw a young registrar surgeon. He examined me without a nurse present. This I did not mind so much as I had a friend with me. I felt he was rough and rude. He told me it was a waste of time travelling to Sale as it wasn't too bad and I would only be given antibiotics.  I told him my GP had spoken to the surgeon and he had told me to come straight away.

When the surgeon came in, he called for 2 nurses, as there were two doctors. My infection was drained there and then. I was admitted to hospital straight away and given IV antibiotics and monitored for a couple of days.

The young Registrar came to check my wound the next day in the ward. Again I felt he was very rude. He uncovered my wound, then told the nurse that it was to be emptied and more dressings put on.

I had a pink Limb band on my right arm. The next day when he came, same again. My cannula had to come out and a new one put in. My nurse Melissa, who was wonderful, asked him to put in another one as she did not want to miss because there were not many more places to put one and that the right arm was off limits. He said, can’t you do it and walked off. I then heard him at the desk asking the nurses that if I was dying would they still not put it in my right arm. I felt that he was downright rude and arrogant to me and the nursing staff. Melissa managed to get it in and did a great job.

I then had an operation to clean the infection out and unfortunately another one a few days later, as there was further infection.

The registrar told me that it was my fault that the infection happened because I smoke. I stopped smoking on the day before my operation. I asked another surgeon, who I believe was his boss, if I could have prevented the infection. He told me definitely no. He said it happens no matter how sterile things are, this does happen now and then.

Every time I saw the registrar, he continued to tell me it was my fault. One of the nurses spoke to him about this as I was getting very upset.

The surgeon and all the other doctors training were so nice. All the nursing staff in the Women's and Children were amazing, especially Melissa and Jen. I wish I knew their last names so I could thank them properly. Even two of the cleaners, Jenny and an older lady were amazing.

I am sure the registrar will be a great surgeon, but his bedside manner and opinions were appalling.

I have been a patient in a few different hospitals over the years and Sale Hospital, from my experience, is fantastic. Keep up the good work.