A patient had his own Christmas song played to him during his operation in a bid to keep him relaxed.

John Dawson, 79, from Cowden near Hornsea, almost severed his fingers in a freak accident involving an angle grinder.

The guitarist, who’s played in the cover band Chapter Four for almost 60 years, was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary where he underwent emergency surgery to save his hand.

John wrote a Christmas song during the pandemic called ‘Santa’s Still in Lockdown’, which the nurses played to him while he was having his operation. He sang along during the operation to try and calm him down.

John said: “I was using the angle grinder and the blade needed changing. I turned it off but it slipped and went across the back of my right hand. My wife called an ambulance and they blue-lighted me to hospital.

“They asked me if I would like some music on and to request a festive song. I said can you play ‘Santa’s Still in Lockdown’. They were surprised when I sang some of the lyrics and realised I had actually written it. It took my mind off the operation and the team was rocking a little when they could at the end.

“The paramedics and the Plastics Surgery Team were fantastic, I cannot thank them enough.”

The surgery means John should be able to play his guitar again in the future. He’s currently recovering well at home.

‘Santa’s Still in Lockdown’ has more than 26,000 streams and is available on a number of online platforms. John has previously appeared in local media.

Majid Al-Khalil was the surgeon who operated on John.

He said: “I remember it was a nasty injury. John was a really nice chap but he was nervous. We often do put music on to relax patients – it’s for everyone’s benefit really.

We’ve never put on a song that a patient wrote – that is very unusual! I’m pleased to hear that John is healing well.”