It was five years ago, I was in my forties and had been constantly bleeding. The Drs suspected I had endometriosis and I went to hospital as a daycare patient for keyhole surgery.

While I was in recovery, the consultant told me that he may have punctured my bowel during the operation. That news was bad enough but the subsequent aftercare I received at the hospital was very poor.

I was kept in hospital and prescribed morphine for the severe pain I was experiencing but no-one tested to see I was getting peritonitis. At one point the pain was so bad I passed out and thought I was going to die. I ended up having an emergency operation (a laparotomy). That whole experience still haunts me 5 years on.

My trauma though still was not over, the date for my stitches to be removed was mixed up and they were taken out too soon, before I had healed properly. In the end it took me two and a half months to recover from what should have been a straight-forward operation. I have two young children but I was unable to look after them fully and my sister had to come and help me every day.

I am now left with cramps and diarrhoea as well as psychological scars from thinking I was going to die.

I am by nature a placid person and did not take any action for some months but my family and friends told me that what had happened was not right, they said it was negligent, that it could happen to someone else and by me taking action it may ultimately help another person in a similar situation.

I contacted SJP Law (Stamp, Jackson and Procter Solicitors) and they came to see me. They were extremely thorough yet friendly and professional throughout my claim.

From start to finish, every step of the process was explained clearly and on occasions when strong emotion was inevitably evoked, compassion was shown.

The hospital accepted negligence and my claim settled out of court. I can now afford to access the relevant therapy to help me move on with my life and support my children all thanks to the work of SJP Law.