"Amazing team"

Dear All

Thank your for all the care and support you gave to me when I stayed on Ward 4C at St Barts last month.

It was the final stage in my three year journey to correct pectus excavatum...bar removal.

At 49 I’m a bit of an “old boy” to be having this kind of surgery but it hadn’t been invented let alone available on the NHS when I was 20!

Meeting my consultant has transformed my life for the better.

Thanks to the kindness and skills of everyone I had the most amazing experience of surgery...all the pre op support, outpatient support including multiple radiologists, incredible life changing surgery, and all the aftercare support to help me recover.

It’s just wonderful to have the NHS and my experience was the NHS at its best.

The technology available, and expertise and skills of the team are second to none, but each and every person who helped look after me, from my consultant and his surgical team, the anaesthetist and team, nursing, pharmacy and even the cleaners and catering staff, were without exception, friendly and reassuring in every interaction.

Every day can feel like a long day when you’re a patient in hospital, especially after surgery, and so every little interaction counts. Everyone was brilliant.

I hope this review finds its way to some of the people who helped me and conveys how grateful I am for everything everyone has done for me.

I am now at home and have a new lease of life, 4 weeks post-bar removal and have been discharged. It feels like being reborn.

Thank you all.