"The whole procedure from GP to surgery was..."

It's a longish story but I really want to tell it in full as I've only recently relocated to Northumberland and it's my first NHS experience in a while. I went to my local GP in Ponteland with lower abdomen pains which he was unable to diagnose and I was sent for a scan at Hexham Hospital. The modern, light and airy building was a massive change from some of the old Victorian places that abound in the NHS. The staff, surroundings and service for the ultrasound scan were all exemplary. I had been told by my GP to make an appointment for a week after I had the scan when the results would be back but that very same evening I received a call from him saying he'd got the scans back; I had a hernia, and there was no point in coming back to see him as he would be making an appointment for me with the consultant. This appointment turned out to be at the clinic in Ponteland where the consultant went through the scan results and discussed the options. We agreed to have it operated on and when I asked how long that would take he said "How about next Tuesday!" I couldn't believe it! Actually that didn't suit us as we were going on holiday but I was literally given the first day back after we returned as an operation date and even filled in all the acceptance documents and had the blood and MRSA tests done in the clinic at the same time!! I found out that the Northumberland Trust sent consultants to the local clinics to compete for the business they felt they were losing to the Hospitals in Newcastle and have to say I found this both amazing and truly fantastic. The operation day duly arrived and once again the whole thing could not have gone any better. I was given a private ward which was every bit as good as any I've had in BUPA hospitals in the past and the whole procedure from arrival through the operation and post op to release was truly outstanding. I've never had such a fantastic service either in the NHS or privately and Hexham General Hospital and the whole Northumberland Hospital Trust are a shining example on how these Trusts are meant to work. This is the first review I have ever written about anything and it's a story I've related many times. I can not over-emphasise how impressed I was with everything and everyone concerned is to be hugely congratulated. Thank you!