'I fear I'll die on hospital waiting list'

A man fears he will die before he reaches the top of a year-long waiting list to see a heart specialist.

John Crockford, 77, from Bridlington in East Yorkshire, has a history of cardiac problems and suffered three heart attacks in 2022.

He has had four stents fitted to open blocked arteries but said he had become so unwell he suspects another is needed.

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said its patients were "prioritised by doctors according to clinical need", but recognised some were waiting longer than it would like.

Mr Crockford said he asked his GP practice to refer him to a cardiologist at Scarborough Hospital before Christmas, when he started to feel so breathless he was unable to do any physical activity.

The retired foster carer and retail worker said his symptoms were the same as those he experienced before previous operations to fit a stent - a tiny mesh tube used to hold an artery open.

Mr Crockford needs a scan to establish if the procedure is needed, but said he was alarmed when he received a letter from the hospital stating "patients are waiting up to 52 weeks" for their cardiology appointments.

He said: "That's before I can go and see a cardiologist, let alone have the scan.

"I don't know whether I'm going to snuff it before I get this year over, because all the time they're not doing it, these arteries are getting clogged up."

Mr Crockford said he was so concerned about what could happen during his wait, he was considering spending £15,000 of his life savings on private treatment.

He added: "That's my kids' and my grandkids' inheritance. Why should I have to pay that when I'm supposed to get free NHS treatment?

"But, to stay alive, I think I'm going to have to."

Mr Crockford, who married his wife Tina in October 1966, said he was worried he would not survive to see their diamond anniversary.

Through tears, he said: "My next target is going to be reaching our 60th anniversary. We've done 58. I don't know if I'll get to 60."

The NHS target for 92% of patients to begin treatment or be given the all clear within 18 weeks has not been met since 2015.

The waiting list currently stands at 7.5 million, with more than 3 million having already waited longer than the 18-week target.

Sir Keir Starmer said he plans to reduce the number of long waits by nearly half a million over the next year by increasing the amount of NHS hubs and encouraging greater use of the private sector.

Charlie Dewhirst, MP for Bridlington and The Wolds, has raised Mr Crockford's case with the Department of Health and the hospital trust.

A spokesperson for the trust said: "We understand this is a difficult wait for Mr Crockford and we are sorry for the inconvenience and worry this is causing for him.

"Patients are prioritised by our doctors according to their clinical need, which means waiting times can vary."

The spokesperson said the trust had made "good progress reducing waiting times" but recognised "some patients are waiting longer than we would like, especially for routine referrals".

They added: "We would always advise patients if their health is getting worse to let their GP know so they can decide whether they need to be prioritised differently."