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"Just another routine procedure"

About: Prince of Wales Hospital / Randwick Campus Operating Theatres

(as the patient),

I unexpectedly was admitted to hospital with appendicitis. 24hrs i found myself about to go into theatres when an emergency stroke call came through and the anesthetists for my procedure needed to go and attend. The duty anesthetist explained re: reprioritizing the patients which i understood and told them to " Get that stroke". I was told i would need to wait 1-2 hours laying there in the bed 1-2m away the operating room rather than going back out in the pre op bays. I was happy to wait and after a couple of minutes, an anesthetic JMO (Charlotte) sat with me talking with me and showed incredible kindness. She moved the bed over towards a side computer and put on 'Muster Dogs' on ABC for the next hour to distract me from surgery. After the show finished, the duty anesthetist explained the surgeon will be there in 5 minutes and we can get moving. It sounds silly, but the small thoughtful act to sit and distract me with a show when she could have left me to wait and distract myself was the best way i could have entered my first ever surgery! Thank you Charlotte - i tell this story to everyone who asks how my 'Appendix' experience was. 

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Responses

Response from Andrew Maxwell, Co Director Surgery and Perioperative Medicine (SPM), SPM, Prince of Wales Hospital last month
Andrew Maxwell
Co Director Surgery and Perioperative Medicine (SPM), SPM,
Prince of Wales Hospital

Senior Manager

Submitted on 9/05/2025 at 10:12 AM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 10:15 AM


Dear zanots

Thank you for sharing your thoughtful and heartwarming experience. We're so pleased to hear how Charlotte's kindness and compassion made a meaningful difference during a stressful time. Your feedback has been shared with the team and will certainly be appreciated by all involved.

Kind Regards

Andrew Maxwell

Co-Director, Nursing & Operations

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