A HOSPITAL is investigating claims that a patient was awake during surgery and watched his appendix being removed.

Aged in his thirties, the man was taken into South Tyneside General Hospital at South Shields, for an emergency operation.

But he has since said he was fully-conscious throughout the entire two-and-half hour procedure, although he was unable to tell doctors. The man is still in hospital recovering from the surgery.

Ed Brennan, of South Tyneside Health Care Trust, said: "I can confirm that an incident is being investigated."

He refused to elaborate on the details, citing patient confidentiality.