NHS delays left me in pain for nine months, says Shropshire pensioner

Leonard Surridge, 69, has hit out at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, claiming staff failed to treat his various health problems immediately which left him unable to sleep for about nine months.

Mr Surridge, of Hinstock, near Market Drayton, said he had to wait an "unacceptable" amount of time for a shoulder operation because there were no beds, as well as for a pre-op appointment to be arranged.

He has now sent a formal complaint to health bosses.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust said it would be looking into Mr Surridge's concerns, and admitted to experiencing "unprecedented" levels of demand this winter.

It comes just over a week after it was revealed more than 170 operations were cancelled at Shropshire's two main hospitals last month due to a lack of available beds.

Last month it was also revealed that nearly 100 beds a week at PRH and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital are taken up by people who are well enough to leave hospital if alternative care was available.

Mr Surridge said: "I was booked in to PRH day ward on January 31 for an operation on my shoulder. I arrived at the hospital at 7.15am and was booked in. I then had to sit in a very uncomfortable metal chair for four hours despite having a serious spinal condition.

"I was then told by ward management at 11.15am they did not have a bed for me although they did have three beds for women. I would suggest that gender discrimination has now taken place here.

"I was told it was winter and the hospital was very busy, but I would like to point out that winter comes every year and it is their job to plan for it."

Mr Surridge said he was unable to sleep because of severe pain in both shoulders, his spine and a gall bladder with large stones in it which are still waiting to be fixed.

He said: "In July 2016 I was taken to the PRH with a very severe pain in my stomach. After tests I was told o go back to my GP and they would arrange a scan.

"It turned out to be a gall bladder problem. After all this time I have finally got a pre-op appointment for the end of March this year but I have had to fight all the way to get this sorted out."

Helen Jenkinson, acting director of nursing and quality at SaTH, said: "We will be looking into Mr Surridge's concerns and will contact him directly, in the way that we normally do for any complaint we receive. We cannot comment on individual cases, but it has been widely reported that our hospitals, along with hospitals across the country, have faced unprecedented levels of demand this winter. Our staff have performed heroically over this period and should be congratulated on the levels of care they have provided in quite challenging circumstances.

"On January 31 alone we saw more than 300 people in our emergency departments. More than a third of those arrived in the department by ambulance and nearly 100 of them needed to be admitted into our hospitals. Even at times of extremely high demand, SaTH is committed to following national guidelines on same-sex accommodation, which state that mixed-sex bays and bathroom facilities should not be used unless it is in the best interests of the patient. The physical environment and the provision of same-sex facilities are considered to be key factors in maximising patient dignity. In the past, when this was not the case, some patients were greatly distressed and embarrassed at being in facilities which weren't same-sex.

"At SaTH we promote a culture whereby patients are treated with professionalism, dignity and respect."