Bruce’s cancer op was rebooked – now it’s too late for surgery

CANCER patient Bruce Knight was all ready to go into theatre when he was told: ‘Sorry, there’s no bed free.’

The 74-year-old had needed an urgent operation to remove a tumour from his pancreas, and was booked in for surgery at University Hospital Coventry on January 18 this year.

His wife, Val, pictured right with Bruce, explained: ‘Bruce was ready, he had his gown on, he’d spoken to the surgeon. Then the anaesthetist came in and told him sorry but the operation would be cancelled as there weren’t enough beds in the high dependency unit.’ The couple then had to endure an agonising wait to see if the eight-hour operation could be rescheduled in the right ‘time window’ to fit in with his other cancer treatment.

It was eventually rebooked for February – by which time doctors discovered they could not remove the tumour. Mrs Knight explained: ‘They said the radiotherapy and chemotherapy had basically bound it in place. But Bruce is improving.’