A mother whose young son was rushed to hospital has hailed NHS staff as "brilliant".

High praise - Jane and Steve Hughes with Alex, 9, and 23-month-old Nick Picture: ROB SAMBROOK

Jane Hughes, of Saint Bride Court, Colchester, called NHS Direct when 23-month-old Nick was taken ill.

She was told to take him to the emergency doctor, from where Nick was sent straight to Colchester General children's ward.

After a blood transfusion was set up, he was rushed to Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge.

Mrs Hughes said: "Colchester were so lovely. They all gave me a hug goodbye and rang Addenbrooke's a day or so later to check how he was, which I thought was really kind."

She and her husband, Steve, 38, went to Cambridge, where the youngster, who had internal bleeding, was being prepared for surgery.

He was stabilised and the registrar told his parents, Nick was in the safest place.

Happily, in the event, they found several peptic ulcers, which were treatable, and the best the family could have hoped for in the circumstances.

Published Thursday January 22, 2004

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