This paper is based on a qualitative study that was designed to investigate patients' experiences of day case surgery and its outcomes. The study was a part requirement of a Masters course in Community Care Studies, and was conducted in a Welsh Integrated Trust in 1997. A case-study approach employing semi-structured interviews was used. A total of 16 patients were interviewed (5 females and 11 males). Three of the males and all five females had varicose vein repair, and the other eight males had a hernia repair. The findings of the study were that although patients preferred the option of day care surgery and indicated that they would choose this in future, the information given to them and the postoperative care they received were largely inadequate. The interviews demonstrate that the communication between hospital and home care was often inadequate, and that some patients and carers experienced unforeseen difficulties and distress.
