A patient recovering from major surgery is demanding an investigation after he was told to make his own way back to hospital when his lung collapsed.

Anthony Hall, 45, said he felt like somebody was "ripping his insides out" as he struggled to make the 13-mile journey on foot and by bus from his home in Shipley to St James's Hospital in Leeds.

He thought the hospital would send an ambulance but was amazed when a nurse told him he would have to get there himself, he said.

So, struggling to breathe and carrying a surgical bag draining fluid from his lung, he walked half a mile to a bus stop in Carr Lane, Shipley, before spending 40 minutes on a bus to Leeds city centre.

When he got there he walked for another 20 minutes to reach the hospital.

A spokesman for St James's Hospital said there may have been a "misunderstanding" and that the hospital would not knowingly ask a patient with such severe symptoms to return by public transport.

Emphysema sufferer Mr Hall is now calling for a full investigation so that the same thing does not happen to others.

The father-of-two said: "I was in a lot of pain. Every time I took a breath I could feel it - it was a sharp pain like somebody was ripping my insides out. I can't believe I made it and feel very annoyed. I want this to be investigated and make other people aware of what happened."

His ordeal started in August after a CAT scan at Eccleshill Medical Centre in Bradford revealed a shadow on his right lung. It turned out to be a bulla', a blister on the lung tissue, which had filled with fluid and grown bigger than a golf ball.

His GP referred him to St Luke's Hospital in Bradford before he was sent to specialists at St James's, where a surgeon removed the swelling.

Mr Hall said: "The surgeon that did the operation said he had not seen anything like it. It was a big one. Once they removed it, I felt a lot better but I was still in a lot of pain and I was on morphine.

"I left hospital after four days but, in the early hours of the morning the Friday after the operation, I woke up at about 2.45am with a pain on the right side of my chest.

"I phoned an emergency doctor and the doctor gave me some pain killers but I could feel myself breathing strangely, so I phoned the ward later on on Friday morning and they said get yourself here'."

A spokesman for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said it was unclear exactly what had been said between Mr Hall and staff at the hospital.

He said the hospital trust was now aware of the situation and a representative had contacted the patient.

The spokesman said: "We are sorry that Mr Hall is upset over the issue of his return to hospital following problems after his operation and will do our best to address his concerns.

"The hospital would not knowingly recommend any patient reporting serious symptoms needing further attention to travel back to us by public transport.

"However, an option such as coming in by taxi or a relative's car might be considered appropriate as an alternative to an ambulance."

e-mail: marc.meneaud@telegraphandargus.co.uk

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