"My life was saved"

There are a lot of things wrong with this hospital. The buildings are, for the most part, old and in desperate need of repair and redecoration. Some areas are just unsuitable for modern times. Hygiene when I was there was poor. There is lack of communication between staff and between staff and patients. Patients don’t know what is happening regarding their treatment or what to expect.

However, on the whole, the staff are doing their best in difficult circumstances. There are some dedicated staff working here.

I had two major surgeries here within a month, eighteen months ago. I believe my life was saved by these surgeries. I was admitted for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy and ended up having open surgery. They discovered I had gallbladder cancer and I underwent a liver resection 4 weeks later. At the time I felt I’d been very unlucky, but now I realise that the opposite is true as I have been clear of cancer for eighteen months now. That is time I would not have had with my family. It is a rare cancer and there is no set protocol for gallbladder cancer. Most are discovered at a late stage and prognosis is poor. My surgeon and his team had to make clinical decisions for the best outcome for me. I owe them my life and I am grateful.