COLLEAGUES at Musgrove Park Hospital’s Day Surgery Centre came together to mark 30 years since the site opened the doors to its first patients.

Just one colleague remains at the centre from day one – staff nurse Debbie May – and she played a huge part in the festivities to mark the occasion.

Debbie said: “It feels almost like yesterday that we saw our first patients at the centre, although it was very different in so many ways.

“I remember we only had two theatres when we first opened, and we treated a lot fewer patients, with only straightforward surgery tending to be performed in this setting back then.

“Over the years things have changed so much, as we now offer much more in-depth surgery, with patients still able to go home the same day.

“I definitely think it’s the way forward, and the patients I care for often tell me that they don’t want to stay in overnight if it can be helped, though this is also something that’s also changed over time.

“Over the past 20-30 years I have noticed patients have become more independent and choose to go and be cared for at home.”

Debbie adds that the flexibility that comes with working in the day surgery centre is one of the reasons she’s remained in the NHS so long.

“Working here in the day surgery setting has been wonderful for me personally, as it really suited my home life when my kids were younger,” she said.

“I really enjoy the variety of specialities of surgery we do here as well, and it makes things really interesting as there tends to be something different every day.

“The addition of more complex surgeries has been challenging for us, and has made us think differently, keeping us fresh.

“We have a really great culture of teamwork here too as, for example, if we haven’t been part of a certain surgery before, our fellow colleagues will always help us, so we can learn the ropes.”

Gemma Briggs is one of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust’s three operating theatre matrons, and was previously lead nurse at the day surgery centre.

“We were so pleased to come together as a wider team to mark 30 years of the centre,” she said.

“It also gave us an opportunity to reflect on all the developments that have happened in day surgery over the years, and of course celebrate the outstanding care our colleagues given to patients day in, day out.

“When we first opened we only had two operating theatres and three ward bays, but we’ve almost doubled in capacity since, and have added a procedure room too, not to mention the ophthalmic theatre suite that joins onto the centre.

“Patients are increasingly asking for day surgery, which is very much seen as a one-stop service, where they walk in, go to the ward to be seen by their surgeon and anaesthetist, before walking into the theatre to have their procedure, usually under general anaesthetist.

“Then they wake up, recover on the ward, and go home again – all on the same day.

“We know that people can typically recovery more quickly at home, and they tend to feel more relaxed and settled in their own environment with their family around them.

“Much of this has become more possible thanks to advancement of technology, with more surgical procedures and new drugs available.

“We’re also increasingly seeing digital technology become part of everything we do, where we link in with patients at home, and we have dashboards where patients can input their own observations that our teams can remotely monitor.

“We have a vision for the future of surgery in general too, which is going to move towards more day case procedures where possible.

"It feels like there’s been a continuous evolution and we’re always learning and it’s exciting to be a part of that – we’ve really come a long way over 30 years.”