A cancer patient who was told she had a good chance of making a full recovery has now been diagnosed as terminally ill - after waiting ten weeks for surgery because of a beds shortage at her local NHS hospital.
When Heather Crisp was diagnosed with bladder cancer last year, doctors were optimistic because the disease had not spread.
She underwent a programme of chemotherapy which ended in early December and according to NHS rules, should have been operated on within a month. But the surgery was repeatedly delayed because of the lack of an available bed at Wexham Park Hospital near Slough.
In late February this year, the mother-of-two was finally sent for treatment at a private hospital but by then the cancer had spread to her pelvic wall making it inoperable.
She was later told the cancer was probably terminal. Her family are now launching legal action against Wexham Park, which was put in 'special measures' in April.
Last night, Mrs Crisp, 62, from Burnham in Berkshire, said: 'I truly believe that if they had done the operation when they should have, in early January, I would not be in this situation. It's now inoperable, and they've said there's nothing more they can really do.'
She recalled how, after being turned away for her operation the first time, her surgeon had told her to stage a sit-down protest if it happened again. When she went in a few days later and was told once more that there were no beds, she decided to try the tactic. But after walking around intensive care, the surgeon told her there was no point.
That second delay, on February 9, prompted a referral to a Spire private hospital. But it was not until February 21 that she went under the knife.
Read the full story: www.dailymail.co.uk
Follow Larry Elder on Twitter
"Like" Larry Elder on Facebook
