Madam,

I recently had the good fortune after a full examination by my GP of being identified with a heart murmur which, I may add, came as a complete surprise. A follow-up appointment was then made with our local cardiologist Dr McKeogh and his team at Bronglais Hospital, where it was identified that I would need an angiogram at Morriston Hospital.

The outcome of the angiogram identified that I required a new aortic valve along with a bypass. A week later I found myself being admitted to Bronglais Hospital as an inpatient after experiencing a few funny turns at home.

I was then admitted to the Clinical Decisions Unit on 15 December, where I spent four days and later found myself being transferred out and onto the Cardiac Monitoring Unit, affectionately known as CMU, where I spent a further 29 days, making a total of 33 days in all, spent at Bronglais.

I was then transferred to Morriston Hospital for open heart surgery, where I spent a further 16 days. I would now like to take this opportunity, through your letters column, to thank all the staff at Bronglais Hospital, starting with Dr McKeogh and his team, the staff at A&E, the Clinical Decision Unit and, last but not least, CMU, who made my stay a safe, pleasant and comfortable one.

All staff I encountered were very professional and passionate about their roles, from the doctors, to the nurses, cleaners and, of course, last but not least, the staff on the tea and coffee trolley. I cannot fault anything!

The warm, kind, caring treatment I received from everyone was second to none. Bronglais Hospital and all its staff are a credit to their profession and Hywel Dda Health Board, and we must fight to save Bronglais and its services from any further erosion in the future, through stealth planning or restructuring by senior management and Welsh Government.

Bronglais is an essential service to residents of Ceredigion and mid Wales, but also a jewel in the crown which we would be lost without.

So a big thank you again everyone, you know who you are.

Yours etc,

Cllr Paul James, Ceredigion county councillor, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth.

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