During the worst November weather known to man a couple of years ago we set off from Thurso to attend a follow up appointment in Western General Hospital in Edinburgh where my husband was due to see his urological consultant the next day. We arrived at our accommodation just before midnight and were surprised the next day how quiet the clinic was. Mr D was due to see 24 patients, but only ourselves and a couple from Dundee and two men from Berwick upon Tweed turned up. All the rest of the appointments were cancelled by Edinburgh locals. Total waste of a surgeons time. Luckily the accommodation was available for us for another night and we were able to stay until the roads were slightly improved and even then had to spend the next again night in Inverness as the A9 was closed.

My husband would not be alive today if it was not for Mr D who offered pioneering surgery never before considered in the UK and we are grateful to him for that, but I would not want to relive the five years of travelling regularly for surgeries and treatment. Going to Inverness is a nightmare for old folks we need to fight to retain our services and improve life locally.