Telford businessman waiting more than two years for hip operation says pain so severe he can't eat

Graham Cotton, 68, from Oakengates, has been on the waiting list with the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford for more than two years.

In February while on holiday in Wales he actually collapsed through pain but, despite thinking it might move him up the list for surgery, he is still waiting for a date for an operation.

His case has now been taken up by Telford MP Lucy Allan who has spoken in Parliament to call for hospital trusts to be held accountable for decisions which are delaying operations being carried out.

She has criticised the National Health Service for a 'lack of accountability' to patients who are in pain and waiting for operations.

Mrs Allan, speaking in the House of Commons, said: "It is not acceptable for patients to continue living in pain while hospitals fail to resume routine surgeries that would massively increase their quality of life."

Father-of-three Graham, who ran Gourmet Pantry Limited, which he closed because of the pandemic and being unable to drive because of his need for a replacement left hip, said: "We went on holiday in February to Wales and had a day out to Conwy and I collapsed on the pavement because of the pain.

"My family were with me and an ambulance was called and they took me to a local hospital where I stayed overnight.

"I thought that this would mean I would be given an early date for surgery but so far I have been given no date and cannot even find out where I am on the list for an operation.

"I am in serious pain and taking painkillers and sometimes when I have tried to have a glass of water I have been unable to drink it because of the pain and at meal times in the evening have been unable to eat.

"Out of a scale of ten, my pain is sometimes 12, and I have been told the hospital is not doing elective surgery and although they are buying theatre time at Oswestry that they cannot say when I will have an operation.

"My youngest son, Paul, a 38-year-old salesman, contacted our local MP."

Mrs Allen said that the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford had still not resumed orthopaedic surgery and that this had meant "leaving many residents in severe pain following years of delays to routine operations such as hip replacements".

She said: "The NHS has no responsibility to find an alternative provider and no-one is responsible or accountable to the patient.

"While it is welcome that the Government is investing £8 billion to tackle the NHS backlog caused by the pandemic, it is crucial that hospital trusts can be held accountable for decisions made not to immediately resume surgery."

Sara Biffen, Acting Chief Operating Officer at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs PRH, said: “Our hospitals remain under pressure from the unprecedented demand for urgent care and the ongoing effects of Covid-19 and we apologise to any patients affected by delays to planned care.

“We are working alongside partners to ensure that as much elective surgery as possible is going ahead and we would to like assure patients that elective orthopaedic surgery at Princess Royal Hospital will restart again as soon as possible."