It was on the 13th of June 1985, and I had made a brief appointment with Doctor Dixon in The Brighton Hill GP Surgery (it is funny how clear all of this still is).  Just to have a quick chat.

I made the first appointment at 9am, because I had a very important business meeting at my company in Basingstoke.  I had made the appointment because I had a swelling in my left testicle, which I had put down to being a hernia, as I had been moving furniture around the previous weekend.

It became clear, very early in my appointment with Doctor Dixon, that my business meeting was actually, not that important, and that I had much more compelling appointment at The Basingstoke Hospital.

I had been admitted to a hospital ward before lunch, and was told that I would be operated on first thing the following morning (did anyone mention NHS waiting lists?).  I remember very clearly the night before – because everything had happened so quick – and it seemed only a few minutes ago that I was going to see my doctor, and then go to meeting – now I had been all checked in – and would be in an operating theatre in less that 24 hours after my “quick chat” with my GP!...click here to read more