UK's first separated conjoined twins forever grateful to NHS

The first conjoined twins to be separated in the UK say they are forever grateful to the NHS as the organisation turns 75.

Anna and Barbara Rozycki were born in Coventry in 1970 and successfully separated at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

The twins said they owed their lives to the surgical team there.

And the sisters said people should be "so thankful" to the NHS for treatment done every day across the country.

The twins were born at Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry before being moved to Birmingham for surgery.

"Mum didn't actually know she was having twins until two weeks before she was due. They just thought she was having a great big baby," Anna stated.

"They said 'aww, you're having twins' and she thought 'oh god I've got two weeks to get used to this idea'."

Doctors said they would be delivered by caesarean section.

"And obviously that's when they realised there was going to be complication and Barbara came out on top, with me stuck underneath," she added.

"Barbara is couple of seconds ahead of me in age."

The twins were joined from the chest to the abdomen, sharing a liver, and their mother was "very poorly" after the birth.

"She was heavily sedated. Everything was done in such a big rush, because we were transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital the very next day," Barbara said.

"Mum remained at Walsgrave. She could only see glimpses on the news of us, which affected mum quite badly, because she was desperate to be with her babies.

"It actually resulted in mum discharging herself from the hospital - she was in there nearly two weeks - and finally she got taken over to Birmingham and the first thing she said was 'mummy's here now'."

Doctors did not know if the operation to separate them was going to be successful.

The pair say they were lucky to only be joined by one organ, the liver, which can repair itself.

"Dr [Keith] Roberts isn't here any more and his name doesn't get mentioned a lot, but for that man, we owe a hell of a lot," added Barbara.

The twins had follow-up appointments until the age of 13 and said he became more of a family friend.

"The Queen visited Walsgrave Hospital not long after we were born and heard the story... She also sent a telegram to mum and dad as well, congratulating us, well, mum and dad, on the birth of us," Anna said.

As the NHS turns 75, the twins said they would thinking about their surgery as well as all other medics involved in "pioneering surgeries".

"I will be thinking just how fortunate we were that Dr Roberts saved our lives," Barbara said.

"Anybody can understand and be grateful to the NHS," Anna added.

"There's many different stories out there that are successful and people are so thankful for the treatment they've had.

"I think it goes for everybody at the end of the day, exactly what the NHS have done for everybody and how appreciative people are."