Patients offered ice lollies after surgery at Royal Surrey
Ice pops are being given to people who've been under the knife; it's to help with dry throats and nausea
Patients waking up from surgery at Royal Surrey are now being handed ice lollies, as part of a new project designed to make the post-op experience more comfortable.
The idea, funded by Royal Surrey Charity, is being trialled by the hospital’s anaesthetic team alongside recovery nurses and researchers from the University of Surrey.
Doctors want to see if something as simple as an ice lolly could help ease some of the most common side effects after surgery, including thirst, sore throats, nausea and general discomfort.
Dr Kai Patel, who is is a Consultant Anaesthetist and the project lead, says: “This has been a true multidisciplinary effort involving anaesthetics, recovery nursing, researchers and charity support. Sometimes small changes can make a big difference to how patients feel after surgery.”
The team will spend the next few weeks gathering feedback and data to see how much of a difference the ice lollies make to patients recovering from anaesthetic.
The project came through the Trust’s “Bid for Better” scheme, in which staff pitch ideas to improve patient care.
So far, the response from both patients and staff has been described as very positive.