‘I can’t walk more than a couple of hundred yards... but have to wait two years for hip op’
80-YEAR-OLD IS JUST ONE OF 1,200 FACING DELAYS OF MORE THAN 12 MONTHS AS SURGERY LISTS SOAR
THE number of North Wales patients waiting more than a year for operations has gone from zero to 1,200 in two years, according to the Royal College of Surgeons.
The figures highlight the continuing crisis within Betsi Cadwaldr’s health board area, which is vying to leave the ‘special measures’ restriction it has been under since June 2015.
Orthopaedics is the problem area, accounting for 1,043 of the patients currently waiting more than 52 weeks for surgery in North Wales – the worst perform- ing department in the country.
The overall figure of 1,202, as of March 2017, is almost double the previous year’s 641 patients and shows a worrying trend.
In March 2017, the number of patients waiting more than a year for surgical treatment across Wales was 3,605 – a rise of more than 400% nationally in four years.
Commenting on the increase in long waits, Mr Tim Havard, regional director for Wales at the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “Overall waits are still too long and the very steep increase in the number of patients waiting longer than a year for treatment is very worrying.
“We’d like to see better provision of out-of-hospital services and more protection of beds used for planned surgery.
“Long waits for surgery can be traumatising for patients and their families.
“In some cases, patients will be in extreme pain or immobile, possibly unable to work or carry out daily tasks.
“A patient’s condition can also deteriorate the longer they are made to wait for treatment.”
One patient being made to wait is 80 year-old David Jones from Penrhyndeudraeth, who says he was told he must wait two years for a hip replacement operation during a consultation at Ysbyty Alltwen, Tremadog.
“I don’t know what the problem is with the waiting times,” he said. “As I am sitting here I am not in pain but as I try and walk it is too painful.
“It has gone worse over the last couple of years and I cannot walk any further than a couple of hundred yards.”
Former architectural technologist Mr Jones said he used to be very mobile – including indulging his passion for outdoor photography, which he has had to give up after the problems started with his hip.
He said he enquired about pri- vate healthcare but was told it would cost around £11,000.
“I have just reached the stage where I am going to speak out,” he added. “I am not the only one.”
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board (ABMU) has 69 more patients than Betsi Cadwaladr who are waiting a year or more for operations, although their figures are reducing after peaking at 1,457 patients in 2015.
ABMU, along with Hywel Dda Health Board, was placed into “targeted intervention” – one level below special measures – in September 2016.
A spokeswoman for Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board said: “We understand the current waiting times for orthopaedic procedures are too long and we are working hard to reduce them.
“We are developing a sustainable plan for the future of orthopaedic surgery in North Wales.
“These plans will be presented at our September Board meeting.
“In recent years, we have seen growing demand in orthopaedics, with contributing factors including an ageing population.
“We are working with the Welsh Government to plan some additional surgical activity using national funding which was announced during August.
“Orthopaedics will be one of the main priorities for this funding in the Health Board.”