Surgery without the wait
Care without the compromise
Surgery Day
It is completely normal to feel a bit nervous on the day of your surgery.
Our goal is to put you at ease and ensure you feel comfortable throughout your stay at our state-of-the-art community healthcare facility in Carlisle. To help you feel prepared, your journey begins well before the procedure with a personal consultation, giving you the opportunity to meet your surgeon, discuss your treatment options, and ask any questions needed to make an informed choice.
For all procedures, we will provide you with a comprehensive pre-operation preparation pack and an informative patient leaflet, ensuring you have all the resources and guidance necessary to understand exactly what to expect every step of the way.
Arrival at the South Hub
The Carlisle Healthcare South Hub is incredibly easy to access by car, train, bus or taxi. Check out our contact page for more detailed information on your transportation options.
There are ample free parking spaces available for our patients, including a number of disabled parking bays.
Main Entrance
Enter the building through the main entrance
2nd Floor
Please head straight up to the 2nd floor using the staircase opposite the main door. Toilets are available and there is a patient lift nearby if you require help. There is no need to check in at the desk on the ground floor.
Cumbria Surgical Services Waiting Area
The Cumbria Surgical Services waiting area welcomes you straight off the staircase on the 2nd floor. Please take a seat here.
and enjoy the views before one of our team comes to collect you for your appointment.
Check In
As you arrive at the building, or once you have made it to our reception waiting area, please check in using the QR code on the reception banner, or by clicking the link in your booking email. Our team will then come and collect you from the reception area.
Link to check in
Partners Waiting Area
If someone has joined you on the day, they are welcome to either remain in the Cumbria Surgical Services waiting area or make themselves comfortable in the café on the ground floor. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building.
NJ’s Café
NJ’s Café is run by a mother and daughter team who rustle up delicious home cooked treats every day, including sandwiches, quiches, salads and cakes. The cafe can be found on the ground floor.
Walled Garden
If they need to stretch their legs, a beautiful walled garden is available on site where they are welcome to sit and get some fresh air.
Pre-Surgery
One of our team will collect you from the 2nd floor waiting room. You will be taken through to meet your surgeon in one of our pleasant consulting rooms. Here, you will talk over the procedure again and be given the opportunity to ask any further questions you may have.
Depending on what procedure you are here for, you may need a surgical gown. You will have been informed in your pre-operation information pack. If one is needed, you shall be given some privacy to change into a gown and you can safely leave your belongings in the consulting room, no one else will be in the area.
Surgery
One of our staff will bring you through to our operating theatre – a pleasant atmosphere with views towards the Scottish Borders. We will introduce you to all members of our surgical team, typically 1-4 depending on what procedure you are here for. We will do everything we can to put you at ease and make you comfortable.
The Procedure
All procedures begin by preparing the area to be operated on. The site will be shaved and thoroughly cleaned with surgical cleaning fluid. We will place surgical drapes over your body to keep the area sterile and help further reduce the risk of an infection. One of the team will place a small monitor on your fingertip to check your heart rate throughout the procedure.
To start, the surgeon will inject some local anaesthetic under the skin. This will sting a little to start with, but is just like having an injection at the dentist and the area will go numb within seconds.
We all like to talk to you as the operation progresses and if at any point something does feel sore just say and we will give you more anaesthetic at each stage, as required.
Post Surgery
Once the procedure is complete, you will walk back into the consulting room you got changed in and a drink of your choice will be waiting for you. At this point, if you have a partner or friend waiting, they will be able to join you.
We will run through the post operative instructions and when you are ready, you can get changed back into your clothes and make your way home. Patients are usually ready to leave within 20 minutes of the operation finishing. If you require a sick note, then please let us know.
Recovery & Post-Care
The local anaesthetic will start to wear off within a few hours. We recommend you continue taking the painkillers we have provided you with for the following two days regardless of whether you have pain or not. It is much easier to control pain by keeping on top of it, rather than waiting for the pain to return.
Once you are home we do not recommend taking to your bed. You can move around the house. If you feel up to it the following day then we recommend a gentle walk.
We will write to your GP to inform them of your operation you have had. If after the operation the pain suddenly worsens or you start to become unwell (fever, chills, or the wound becomes very sore) please either let us know or your local GP.
We will call you within the next 48hours to check in and answer any questions you may have.
