"lack of care nearly killed me"

On Saturday 9th Feb 08 I was admitted to the royal Gwent hospital Newport Gwent with horrendous stomach pains which the consult on duty told his HSO was probobly a kidney stone and couldn't be appendix related. Over Saturday and Sunday the pain became worse and got unbearable, even the morphine failed to stem the pain. Still the hospital staff diagnosed my condition by feel alone. On Monday now in acute pain and difficulty the morning round again suggested my problems were related to a kidney stone. My wife became upset with the staff and at her insistance at 6pm on Monday evening I was given a CT scan. This revealed a burst appendix or peritonitis. after an emergency operation I was told that there was a real chance of not making it because of the poison effect of the 9 pints of body fluid removed from my cavity. Had I been scanned on the Saturday I would have had a small operational scar and been dealt with swiftly. As they didn't, because of costs, I was left in massive pain for 3 days and almost died of toxic poisioning caused by their incompetence. Sadly I now have a large appendix scar which has caused problems for the last year, all because of cost savings. Thank you Newport, remind me to be sick elsewhere next time. How sad that prescription charges are now free in Wales, could it be they are saving it elsewhere I wonder.