Somerset man plays ukulele to surgeons who saved his fingers

Carpenter Mike Aherne was already a keen ukulele player at the time he cut off four fingers in a work accident

A carpenter who chopped off four fingers in a work accident has fulfilled his vow to play the ukulele for the surgeons who reattached them.

Mike Aherne, 71, from Taunton, returned to Southmead Hospital in Bristol on Monday with his ukulele orchestra.

He was treated at the hospital in 2019 after the accident which saw a glove he was wearing become caught in a table saw which pulled his fingers through.

"I don't know what I would have done without the NHS," said Mr Aherne.

The retired carpenter was already a keen ukulele player before the accident which occurred at 11:00 GMT on 11 January 2019.

'I knew it was bad'

"I was at work as normal, working on the table saw I had used umpteen times with all the safeguards in place, when it caught my glove," he said.

"I knew it was bad and was taken to Southmead Hospital by ambulance and when I saw the consultant plastic surgeon Rob Warr, he felt they could put my fingers back as the cut was so clean.

"My colleagues had immediately looked after the fingers for me," added Mr Aherne.

He underwent an 11-hour operation on his left hand, which proved successful in saving three out of the four fingers - he lost his little finger - and then had physiotherapy twice a week for eight months.

Mr Aherne worked as a carpenter for 55 years

"I awoke from the operation at about four in the morning and told staff I would get back to playing the ukulele and that I would also play in the atrium of Southmead Hospital," he said.

On 3 July, as part of celebrations to mark the 75th birthday of the NHS, Mr Aherne returned to the hospital to fulfil his promise.

He performed with fellow players from the Ukulele Orchestra of North Curry.

"It was about 12 months before I could play again," he said.

"I was already a member of the ukulele orchestra, having joined in 2018, and I continued singing and playing a drum in the meantime until I was able to play the ukulele again.

"The staff looking after me were great. Happy birthday to the NHS," added Mr Aherne.Consultant plastic surgeon, Mr Warr, said it was "fabulous" to see his patient play again.

"Above all, it is stories like these that inspire those of us working in the NHS and give hope to future patients who suffer such potentially life-changing injuries," he added.

Specialist hand physiotherapist James Henney led Mr Aherne's rehabilitation

Specialist hand physiotherapist at Southmead Hospital, James Henney, said: "The rehabilitation involved many hours of physiotherapy twice a week.

"To achieve a such a good outcome you need a combination of excellent surgery, physiotherapy and patient.  

"The post-operative care is extremely hard work for patients requiring time and effort attending appointments and putting in many hours performing exercises which can be painful."

He added it was "lovely" to see Mr Aherne play and see how his "hard work and dedication" had paid off.