Ananova:

A hospital has apologised after a six-month-old boy waited two hours for treatment while a doctor rode up and down a ward on a unicycle.

Paula Dadswell had taken her son James to her local general hospital with suspected gastroenteritis, reports the Sun Online.

She had spotted the doctor pedalling the unicycle but was astonished when the same doctor later walked over to examine the child.

Ms Dadswell, 33, of Jarrow, South Tyneside, said: "We took one look at the doctor and said 'you must be joking'. His face went bright red."

A spokeswoman for South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust said: "The child in question was not neglected and his care was not compromised in any way.

"Of course we are sorry if distress was inadvertently caused to his mother and we have offered her our apologies.

"But let’s also remember that we should try to make hospital wards less intimidating places for patients, particularly children and not apologise for making a stay in hospital as happy a time as possible.

"We regularly provide diversions that are not directly related to medical care... Many parents have commented favourably on this approach and indeed about the unicycle."

The youngster, who had been having problems digesting his food, did not have the gastroenteritis suspected by his family, and made a full recovery.