I got addicted to painkillers waiting for my hip operation
Hip-surgery patient John Pagani waited so long for his hip operation that he became addicted to painkillers.
He says he fell into depression and despaired at the wait of more than a year for a hip repair.
Eventually he paid for private surgery at an overseas clinic.
The restaurant owner from Annan was born with a hip deformity that went undiagnosed until, in his forties, it affected his joints. He had one hip repair in December 2018 but says when his GP referred him for the follow-up operation his appointment was delayed. John, 50, said: “I was in constant pain and several calls from my GP practice failed to get me seen by an orthopaedic surgeon.
“When I did I was told I could wait at least a year and to stop calling for a more urgent one.
“My painkillers had stopped working and I was desperate for surgery. Worse still, I had become hooked on the painkillers.
“I went online and came across the Nordorthopaedics Clinic, Lithuania.
“I found other hip patients who had been there and said they were happy so I paid the €6,500 for surgery and physio.
“It’s been a success and I am now coming off the painkillers.”
“I am fully aware that not everyone can afford thousands of pounds for private surgery, nor should they have to.
“There were times when I couldn’t work because of the pain and my family had to cover for me. The impact of delayed surgery affects many, not just the patients.
“My family and I work hard and pay our national insurance. It’s wrong that I, and others like me, have to pay for vital surgery because the NHS cannot cope.”
Arthritis charity, Versus Arthritis, which campaigns for patients with hip and other conditions needing surgery, said: “Under the Scottish Government’s own standards, patients needing treatment, including for joint replacement, have been given a commitment to get it within 18 weeks of referral.
“However it’s disappointing that across NHS Scotland the 90% target set for this standard hasn’t been met since October 2014.
“It’s deeply worrying that people with arthritis are having to endure a world of pain because of continued failures to hit these vital targets.”
An NHS Dumfries and Galloway spokesperson said they could not comment on individual cases, but added: “We would encourage anyone with a concern or complaint to contact the Patient Services Team.
“If surgery is agreed at an outpatient appointment and is judged non-urgent, and if there are no complicating clinical factors or necessary steps involved such as losing weight or altering medications, another 12-week target is then in place for surgery to take place. Our performance here currently ranks very favourably against the national average.”