Anton Coaker on Thursday

Read Anton’s column every week in the Western Morning News

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WELL, that last two-three weeks was all a bit mad. I managed to have my operation in time to be able to contemplate our eldest urchin’s wedding - at least I was only walking her down the aisle, not giving her a piggyback.

Going private for the hernia op was a no-brainer, hearing endless tales of NHS waiting times in the months, with zero consideration apparently given to those working at hard physical jobs. It’s a very poor affair when viewed thus. I was decided when my GP couldn’t even guess how long I'd wait, whereas one call to a ‘pay as you go’ outfit gave me a price - £4,400 - and detailed timings ~ six week wait, day surgery, then a four week recovery, and could get me in front of a very senior consultant inside a week.

Given that the tear wasn’t going to improve with time - far from it - and could have escalated into a ‘medical emergency’ at any time, I wasn’t many seconds deciding.

‘And the cost is very likely to prove a bargain if it gets me returned to full working capacity in the predicted timescale. Mind, the fact that this will simply allow me to get back working sooner, increasing my tax bill, isn’t lost on me, nor is the fact that I can’t claim the bill as a work expense. That spiteful little detail needs testing in a court of law.