HIP and knee replacement patients at the Alexandra Hospital will be asked to voice their views on the service they received.

More than 30 former patients of the hospital's orthopaedic ward will take part in a "patient experience day" this Friday.

Patients and their relatives will spend the day in small discussion groups with a team of ward staff, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and consultants.

There will be the opportunity to review the patient's entire journey through the hospital, from initial GP visit, to hospital referral through to post-treatment support.

Matron for the elective orthopaedics ward, Anne Marie Lewis, said: "We first ran a patient experience day two years ago and received praise but also lots of helpful suggestions, often concerning practical details we had previously overlooked.

"The aim of the day is to find out what patients thought of the service - were waiting times too long?

"Did they receive helpful advice at every stage of their treatment? Was the information they were given extensive enough and easy to understand?

"We are also interested in finding out what they thought of the comfort and cleanliness of their surroundings on the ward and of the attitudes of the staff, as well as how well the patient managed to cope once they returned home."

The department is planning to make the day an annual event.