A DEVOTED husband has praised hospital staff after they went above and beyond to reunite him and his wife when they were taken ill.

An ambulance had been called to take Patricia Littler, of High Street, Earls Colne, to hospital after complications with her medication following a fall.

But when ambulance crews arrived on Monday they found her husband of 60 years Cecil, 82, was suffering an angina attack.

A second ambulance was called and both were taken to Colchester General Hospital.

The pair were separated after arriving but were later reunited. Hospital staff found them side-by-side cubicles and pushed the beds together so they could be next to each other.

Mr Littler said: “Neither of us knew where the other one was. We are both in our 80s and have been married for 60 years. At three in the morning I went to the toilet and my wife saw me and called out.

“When I came out I put the side of the trolley down and I got on there and gave my wife a cuddle.”

When hospital staff realised the couple had been separated they arranged to move Mr Littler next to his wife.

Mr Littler said: “They got another cubicle, pulled the curtains away and pushed the beds together. They couldn’t have done any better.

“Colchester has been getting a bad name lately but I have never had any problems with them.

“I thanked all of the people in the different departments for what they have done for us.”

Patricia, 81, returned home on Wednesday after recovering from a water infection.

A spokesman for Colchester Hospital Trust said: “Our staff would like to thank Mr Littler for his kind words, and we wish both him and his wife well.”