IT was celebrations all round at Musgrove Park Hospital’s day surgery centre as colleagues came together to mark 30 years since it opened to its first patients.

Staff nurse Debbie May was the only colleague who had been at the centre from day one and she played a huge part in the festivities to mark the occasion.

Ms May 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 is the way forward, and the patients I care for often tell me that they do not want to stay in overnight if it can be helped, though this is also something that has also changed over time.”

Ms May said the flexibility that came with working in the day surgery centre was one of the reasons she had remained in the NHS so long.

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.”

Musgrove operating theatre matron Gemma Briggs, who was previously day surgery lead nurse, said: “We were so pleased to come together as a wider team to mark 30 years of the centre.

“When we first opened we only had two operating theatres and three ward bays, but we have 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.

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

“We are 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 has been a continuous evolution and we are always learning and it is exciting to be a part of that.”