Earlier this month I had a first-hand insight into our NHS that I was not bargaining on. Whilst walking to the office in Newport early one morning ahead of an online committee, I missed the top step of three leading down to the indoor market entrance. I fell to the floor and felt an instant pain in my right knee. I knew straight away that the injury was significant and that I would not be making the committee meeting or a panel event in the city centre with unpaid carers later that morning.

Thanks to a colleague, I got into a taxi to the minor injuries unit in the Royal Gwent Hospital where I was seen quickly and a preliminary diagnosis of a ruptured patella ligament was given. This is the ligament which connects the knee to the shin and would explain why I could not bend my knee without excruciating pain. I was told I would need to go to The Grange Hospital for confirmation of this diagnosis and an operation but that I would need to make my own way as an ambulance would take “14 hours.” Fortunately I could call on my wife to be take me there but I know everyone is not as fortunate.

At The Grange, things were much different. Despite the best efforts of hardworking and compassionate staff, it is clear that there are chronic issues with capacity. I spent 36 hours in a chair before a bed was found. The promised operation kept getting pushed back over the course of the next few days until I was told I could go home for an evening as the operation would take place the following day at St Woolas Hospital. The operation, when it came, was thankfully a success and I now have a good couple of months of rest, recuperation and physio ahead of me before regaining full functionality of my injured knee.

My experience has shown me the good and the bad within our NHS. The staff are doing an incredible job in the most difficult of circumstance but they have been let down badly by a system that is creaking under the pressure. Our NHS requires immediate intervention to restore its health but we should vehemently oppose those who seek to undermine it, hollow it out and ultimately ditch it.

Thankfully Plaid Cymru has a plan to improve our NHS and I look forward to putting our plans to voters when I am back up on my feet and door knocking again.