A surgeon who was 200 miles from his hospital saved a patient's life - via email.

Colleagues who were concerned that a woman's condition was deteriorating called Ahmed Samy while he was on a train, travelling from Edinburgh to Grimsby.

He was able to make a diagnosis from x-ray photographs emailed to him on his laptop. This allowed colleagues to operate and save the woman's life.

Simon Rigg, a spokesman for the hospital, said that her condition had been life threatening. Her arteries had been bleeding and a quick diagnosis was essential, he said.

Mr Samy had recently performed an operation on her shoulder and so was the best person to make that diagnosis.

Mr Samy told The Sun: "It is fantastic when you're able to see scans and suggest treatment from a distance. Mobile phones can be very annoying, but on this occasion mine proved to be a lifesaver."

The woman, who has not been named, made a full recovery and has been discharged. ®