A PENSIONER is furious over how her hip replacement has been cancelled numerous times in a matter of weeks due to a staff shortage and patient numbers - leaving her in agonising pain.

Pauline Jones, 76, of Llys Hafod, Johnstown, said that on one occasion she went to Wrexham Maelor Hospital only to be told that the operation had been cancelled because the A&E department needed the beds on her ward.

Ms Jones said she was told by other patients of similar situations happening three weeks in a row on two wards.

Of the way she and other patients with non-essential surgery had been treated by BCUHB, she said: “I feel totally let down, and not just for me, it’s everybody that is waiting for the same operation as me as all these non-essential operations.

“They may not be life-threatening but we have no quality of life and that matters as well.”

The pensioner told how she was originally given a date of March 12, which was brought forward to February 27.

She went to the Maelor, only to be told that the operation had been cancelled due to the snow, which she could understand.

But when she called the next day, Ms Jones was told that she was no longer on the waiting list and had the operation.

That issue was sorted and Ms Jones was then given a date of March 17, but that was cancelled because of a shortage of staff.

The operation was rearranged for Monday (March 12) and went through the pre-op procedure, but she said patients on Pantomime and Prince of Wales wards were told they had to go home because A&E needed the beds.

She then received a letter on Wednesday saying that the operation would go ahead on Monday, March 19.

But at 11am on Wednesday Ms Jones received a phone call saying her that it was going to be cancelled again due the situation at A&E, although this was “not 100 per cent”.

When she called the BCUHB complaints team, she was told to go in on Monday if she had not heard anything else by Sunday night, as the surgery might not have been cancelled.

Ms Jones claimed that had been waiting three years for the operation and is in agonising pain.

The Llys Hafod resident said that she had difficulty getting round her flat and had to pay someone to walk her dog.

“It’s getting to a point where I’m not be able to walk at all because of the pain,” she said.

Ms Jones stressed that she could not fault the staff at the hospital, but added: “Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board need to get their act together.

Maureen Wain, hospital director for Wrexham Maelor Hospital, said: “We would like to apologise to Ms Jones for the delay to her surgery. This winter has been an exceptionally challenging period and we are seeing more patients coming into our hospital than the same time last year..Due to exceptional pressures last week we were forced to cancel some operations. “

“We apologise to anyone who has had to wait longer as a result.”