A man left waiting for surgery to remove a cancerous tumour has had a date set for the surgery to go ahead.

The Leader reported last month how Barry Gillespie, from Mold, and wife Jane had faced a battle against the bureaucracy of the health service.

Mr Gillespie, 75, needs an urgent operation to remove a cancerous tumour, and was left wandering for months whether it would be going ahead.

However, Mr and Mrs Gillespie have received confirmation that a date has been set for the surgery to take place on November 19 in Newport.

Mrs Gillespie said: "We certainly feel relieved to get a date, not as early as we would have liked but not as late as we were beginning to fear.

"Though I think a combination of things galvanized them into action, it seems to be no co-incidence that after the article in the paper things began to happen the following week with a date November 19 (albeit provisional) for the operation.

"Pre-op has been arranged for the Thursday of that week and a date for operation counselling on November 5.

"Obviously, having a plan in place we feel more settled having been in limbo since the last consultants appointments on September 12."

Prior to confirmation that an operation will take place, the Gillespies had faced an anxious wait as to whether it would go ahead after Liverpool Broad Green stopped taking Welsh patients due to 'staffing difficulties'.

In that time they were passed from health board to health board, and had to communicate with health services via Delyn MP David Hanson as they could not get adequate replies themselves.

They also experienced numerous false dawns, with news of funding meetings and potential surgery at Christie Hospital in Manchester coming to nothing.

Mr Gillespie said he had enquired about the possibility of having the operation in the North West, from which they say Betsi Cadwaladr inferred incorrectly that he was ruling out an operation at Newport.

This is despite stating that he wanted ‘to obtain the best possible treatment for (his) condition’ and that if this could be obtained more locally he would ‘regard it as an additional benefit’.

Mrs Gillespie added: "We have had confirmation of our complaint having been received by the North Wales Community Health Council.

"I have asked specifically why arrangements were not in place for Urology patients from Wales, given that they knew of the Liverpool termination well in advance and why it took a month after the referral being initiated for it to be received by Newport Hospital."

Mr Gillespie added: "There is just the anger at having to wait from a date recommended by the oncologist of no later than October 3 to the currently specified provisional date of November 19.

"There is no guarantee of a successful outcome to the operation, indeed the delay may prove crucial.

"We are always told that early diagnosis is key to successful cancer treatment and with that in mind, the lack of acceptable forward planning and resulting delays in my case appear inexcusable. Lets hope there are some learning points for future patients."

A Betsi Cadwaladr spokesman told the Leader last month said: “This type of surgery for North Wales residents was previously undertaken in Liverpool, but due to staffing difficulties they had to withdraw from the contract earlier this year. Unfortunately none of the other hospitals in the North West of England that undertake this highly specialist surgery had sufficient capacity to commit to accepting referrals from North Wales during the current financial year.

“In the meantime, as an interim measure, we have reached agreement with Aneurin Bevan Health Board for this surgery to take place at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, with funding arranged via the IPFR process.

“We recognise that this interim arrangement has resulted in a small number of patients like Mr Gillespie travelling a considerable distance for surgery. While this is regrettable, it has been necessary to ensure that patients have their operations promptly.

“We have made concerted efforts to find a way to accommodate Mr Gillespie’s request for treatment more locally, and while the delays that have occurred have not been of the health board’s making, we apologise for the worry and frustration this has caused to Mr Gillespie and his family.”