Rainham driver rushed to hospital after pothole dislodges kidney stone!

Robert Farnsworth at the wheel of his minibus. Archant

An innocuous pothole has caused a rather unusual injury for one community driver.

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Robert Farnsworth, 64, of Rainham, was left cursing his luck after a kidney stone was dislodged when the minibus he was driving hit a divot in Straight Road, Harold Hill last Tuesday.

The Havering Community Transport worker was taking school children home when it happened, and initially thought nothing of the incident.

He explained: “I said to my assistant ‘that shook the old body up didn’t it’ but felt fine for the next ten minutes or so.

“Then I developed severe pains in my lower back and started feeling sick. By the time I got home the pain was excruciating and I told my wife to call an ambulance.”

Within 15 minutes Robert was on his way to Queen’s Hospital in Rom Valley Way, Romford, where doctors suspected a case of kidney stones.

“We went straight in to Queen’s, they checked my blood pressure, took blood and gave me an ECG,” he said.

“The scan showed kidney stones but as Queen’s has no urology ward I was transferred to King George Hospital.”

Robert spent the night at the hospital in Barley Lane, Ilford, where further x-rays confirmed the stone had shifted and partially broken up.

And the the driver, who often spends his days taking people to hospital apointments, was able to see the irony.

He quipped: “Unfortunately none of my colleagues were about to take me to King George. I’ll be trying to avoid potholes from now on!”

Robert was sent home the following afteroon with medication, and was full of praise for the hospital workers.

“All through the night the staff were attentive, polite and kept me advised of what was happening, what they found and what they might do,” he said.

“No one could have got better treatment in any hospital. In an emergency the NHS is where you have to go.”