A patient on an "urgent" NHS waiting list for hip surgery has been told it could take another four and a half years for the operation to be carried out. Dad Ian Hembrow, from Maesteg, Bridgend, dislocated his right hip for the fourth time in November 2020 and needed a spell at Princess of Wales Hospital for it to be put back in.
Doctors decided that the 53-year-old would require an operation and was placed on an urgent waiting list under Swansea Bay University Health Board's consultant orthopaedic surgeon. But after spending the following year in almost constant pain and discomfort he complained about the delay and was sent a letter back in January 2022 confirming that there was still no date for the procedure to be carried out.
To make matters worse he was astonished to then learn that the current waiting time to undergo the hip procedure was a colossal 229 weeks – almost four-and-a-half years. "When I was given the letter I honestly thought the figure of 229 weeks was a mistake," said Mr Hembrow. "This is meant to be the urgent waiting list so God knows how long people will be waiting if it's not urgent."
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Mr Hembrow, who is now classed as disabled, said his quality of life has diminished significantly due to the delay in getting his hip fixed. "It's totally affected my life. I have raised furniture in my living room, I have to be very careful of the way I move around my house and up and down my stairs, and I can't drive a vehicle that's got a seat lower than a certain height," he added.
"I'm on antidepressants and anti-cramping drugs but I still can't sleep for longer than four hours a night. Funnily enough I was just doing a repeat prescription for all the medication I take and it was horrendous.
"On top of all of that I've had to have my right knee replaced because my hip threw my knee out such a disproportionate amount. Now my left hip is damaged beyond repair too so I might as well get them both done at the same time."
Mr Hembrow underwent a right hip replacement in November 2013 and has suffered four separate dislocations since, all of which required putting back in under general anaesthetic. The first dislocation, he claims, took place just 10 days after the original surgery was carried out and left him with a blood clot which has required him to take daily blood thinners.
Following an outpatient review after the fourth dislocation he was added to the health board's "urgent" inpatient waiting list for a new hip replacement on January 8, 2021, under consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mark Mullins at Morriston Hospital in Swansea. But after enduring 60 weeks of waiting he decided to send a letter of complaint to the health board about the delay.
In response to his complaint the health board sent him a letter back in January 2022 which read: "In response to the coronavirus situation the health board has had to make temporary changes to the way we deliver some of our services, which includes the postponement of the majority of elective surgery.
"Whilst some operations are going ahead these are emergency procedures and classified as risk to life, limb, or sight and are in line with guidance from the Royal College of Surgeons and the Welsh Government. All patients are clinically prioritised and capacity for the most clinically urgent patients is allocated by a multi-disciplinary team. We make every possible effort to meet the needs of individual patients however this has to be balanced against the needs of the majority.
"I can confirm that you have been prioritised as a category two patient, however I regret to inform you that the current waiting time for Mr Mullins' urgent hip surgery is 229 weeks. I fully empathise with the impact this delay has had on your health and would like to assure you that the health board is working extremely hard to recover the situation."
The health board also added that Mr Hembrow was clinically unsuitable to have surgery in Neath Port Talbot Hospital due to his blood clot and the medication for it. He was told he'd need to have the surgery at Morriston Hospital as it houses a critical care unit.
Mr Hembrow, who works from home in the renewable technologies sector, said the massive delays in his surgery have prevented him from contributing more to society and the economy. "I've been in hospital on four occasions and each time I've been in for three days. I've been told that's £3,000-£4,000 each time so in total you're looking at up to £16,000. On a financial basis, on a common-sense basis, on every other basis you can think of it doesn't make sense for them not to put my hip right," he said.
"The people running the NHS have no business brain because to put me back to where I need to be – healthy – means I could go back to being a substantial earner, paying more tax, paying more national insurance, and contributing to what is now a massively booming industry with regards to renewable technology."
Swansea Bay University Health Board, like all health boards, had to postpone the majority of its planned surgical procedures when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020. It has resulted in elective lists growing to record levels with latest figures for July 2022 revealing that 101,106 patients in Wales were waiting more than a year and 60,557 more than two years.
When it comes to orthopaedic surgery in Swansea Bay UHB, which covers both Swansea and Neath Port Talbot local authorities, more than half of its patients have been waiting more than two years. Mr Hembrow said he has been told that the main reason for the delay is staff shortages, particularly in recovery wards.
On October 4 the health board confirmed that new operating theatres will be built at Neath Port Talbot Hospital to help manage these long waits for planned procedures. The £6.1m theatres will be erected on land alongside the minor injury unit.
In response to Mr Hembrow's situation a health board spokesman said: "We are very sorry to hear of Mr Hembrow's ongoing concerns about his care. He made a formal complaint to the health board late last year. This was fully investigated, in line with health board procedures, and we provided him with a detailed response.
"Although we cannot comment on the specific aspects of his care without his consent we would be happy to discuss them with Mr Hembrow if he would like to contact us directly. As has been widely reported the pandemic has stretched NHS resources to the limit leading to record waiting times for surgery, including orthopaedic surgery, across the UK.
"The health board understands how distressing it is for people facing long waits for surgery, often in constant pain. This is why we are developing a series of centres of excellence in our hospitals in order to work through the backlog as swiftly and efficiently as possible
"This includes a centre of excellence for planned orthopaedic and spinal surgery at Neath Port Talbot Hospital where three new operating theatres are being built. As well as orthopaedics, elective urology patients will also be treated in the new theatres as Neath Port Talbot will also provide a centre of excellence for urology. We anticipate the new theatres opening next June."
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