<p>The surgical day case unit (SDCU) at Burnley General Hospital recently piloted a post-operative telephone service. All patients are called by a registered nurse the day after discharge. Audit of the service over six months generated valuable information about many aspects of the service, including the incidence of post-operative problems, pain control and instructions given to patients. The results were fed back to staff, who set standards to highlight areas where improvement and changes in practice were appropriate.</p>