Man rejects trust apology to wife for hip surgery delay

Image source, Condren family

Image caption, Carol Condren has adult spinal degeneration and said she lives in constant pain.

27 July 2020

A Londonderry man has rejected an apology from the Western Trust over a delay to his wife's surgery.

The apology was issued to Carol Condren and her family. She has adult spinal degeneration and has said she is in constant pain.

Mrs Condren was scheduled to have an operation earlier this year on the NHS, but that has since been delayed.

The trust said it is working in challenging circumstances, "influenced by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic".

The family said it has taken out a £15,000 loan for private treatment.

The Western Health and Social Care Trust said an apology has been offered to the family and contact with them will continue with the aim to "provide surgery as soon as possible".

Image caption, The Western Trust said it is operating "within very challenging circumstances, which have been influenced by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic".

Speaking to ��ý Radio Foyle, Mr Condren said his wife's hip pain is "unbearable".

Mr Condron said his wife has "no quality of life" due to her current condition and said her mental health has been affected.

In January, Mrs Condren went to Altnagelvin Hospital where she was told by her consultant that he wanted her to have the operation within three weeks, her family said.

"He [the consultant] told us he would see us very soon and that was it," Mr Condren said.

'Heard nothing'

Mr Condron said his wife left the hospital feeling "elated" believing that her operation was going to go ahead.

However, Mr Condren said the couple "heard nothing" from the trust after that meeting.

On Friday, Mr Condren was then contacted by the acting head of the trust who told him that Carole's operation "could then be done within the next six months".

However, Mr Condren fears that a potential second wave of coronavirus could then push everything back again and his wife will be no closer to getting the operation.

"Do I accept the apology that I got from the trust? No," he said.

"I didn't get an apology, I got a bit of rhetoric and I got told the operation could be done within six months, " Mr Condren explains.

"How many people are going to die from cancer-related illnesses, or are going to go blind because they can't get a simple cataract operation?

"How many people like my wife are going to be living in agony?" Mr Condren asked.