Royal Blackburn Hospital, England 🇬🇧 2022

Date: 4th-8th June 2022

Travelled: 30 kms from Sawley to Blackburn, Lancashire. 

Visited: A+E and the operating theatre

Stayed: The Willow, Blackburn, £85 pn, N53.72856, W02.45017 

Budget: 8 days @ €142 per day

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Lets go back a few days. After walking around Windsor Castle all day I had this burning pain in my groan, wasn’t bad but a bit odd.  Anyway next day walking around Leicester I feel this lump develop.  Sat down for a few minutes and it disappeared, I walk a bit more and it’s back (by now suspecting a hernia). Did a lot of walking around Blackpool the lump is out again but very sore this time.

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Blackburn, England, United Kingdom

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Pam insisted I ring our insurer.  They tell me to find a large NHS hospital and get it looked at, get their opinion with the options of getting it repaired here or they would organise a flight home.  As we were in Sawley, the nearest large hospital is Royal Blackburn.  Walked into A+E and sat around most of day until 1 finally see the Surgical Registrar. Having already had my pants pulled down and coughing for several different nurses, doctors, and the cleaner she confirms a inguinal hernia. She tells me it’s common in older men, it comes as a bit of a surprise as up till then I didn’t consider myself in that category, just yet. She recommends surgery. However as it not strangulated I may have to wait a day or two.

So we book in at the Willows, the hotel nearest to the hospital. Park the Hymer in the carpark.

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Next day is spent sitting on the waiting list. At least the chairs are more comfortable in the waiting list room, no food or water again, about 3pm they tell me to go home it won’t be today. But the surgeon says to be here tomorrow at 7am.

So day 3, I rock up once again, straight into the waiting list room. New surgeon today more pants down and coughing, however this time he produces a texta, draws arrows on me like he’s using Google Maps. A couple of hours later the anaesthesiologist is sticking in a cannulae and I find myself walking towards the light.

Next thing I know a very attractive nurse is giving me a shake and telling me it is all done. I think the surgeon came in and talked to me but I honestly cannot remember. I spend the afternoon in a private room with a view across the lake. I pass the time with my new best friend Hamze, the nurse assigned to my room. He’s mad about cricket, as soon as he finds out I’m Australian he thinks I must love cricket as well. Every few minutes he pops in to talk about some match at the WACA.

About 5.30 they bring around dinner, they tell me I’m welcome to stay or go home, so I toss down a ham sandwich and ask Hamze to check me out.  

You have to love free reciprocal healthcare and I bet the travel insurer does as well.

Obviously feeling a little sore, but had a good night’s sleep and haven’t required any of the painkiller.  Obviously we wont be doing much for a week or so but as Blackburn holds little charm we will move somewhere in two or three days. 

It will come as no surprise to you that somehow Pam managed to find a shoe shop in the wasteland that is Blackburn and just what she was looking for.

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Michael + Pam