NHS waiting times: Essex teacher 'gave up work over operation wait'

A former teacher said he had had to give up work after waiting a year for an operation.

Alan Jennison from Benfleet in Essex needs a procedure on his prostate at Southend University Hospital, where waiting times have increased.

The 60-year-old said he might have the operation within the next four months but there was "no guarantee".

Southend Hospital's trust said it was "working hard to care for people as quickly and safely as possible".

Data released shows the number of patients waiting more than 52 weeks for a routine operation at Mid and South Essex NHS Trust, which includes Southend University Hospital, was 8,072 in February.

A year ago it was 1,291, while in 2017 the comparable figure was 12.

Mr Jennison was first diagnosed with an enlarged prostate in 2019 and has been waiting for an operation since December of that year.

He currently has a catheter attached and said he was in so much pain he could no longer teach.

He said: "I've had to take retirement. There's been no other way around it. I had a teacher's pension fortunately and at 60 I could take it.

"I only discovered that I had a booking for the operation on 25 June last year and that was only because another department told me, nothing to do with urology.

"I did get a phone call in July/August to ask if I was still alive."

Mr Jennison said he had "chased them up every couple of months" but "99 times out of 100 they don't reply".

He added: "They replied last Thursday, which is the first time - I nearly fell off my chair in shock."

The trust has initiated a "harm review" process in relation to the backlogs, focusing on cancer, dermatology and colorectal.

It means Mr Jennison has an appointment on Friday for a pre-anaesthetic assessment.

He said: "The leader of urology informs me [the assessment] lasts for four months, and they will try and get me within that four-month period, but there is no guarantee".

The Mid and South Essex NHS Trust said: "Mr Jennison's procedure is booked for a few weeks' time and we wish him well in his operation and recovery."

It said it "needed to prioritise those with the most urgent clinical needs" and would welcome feedback from Mr Jennison.

The trust said some elective surgeries had now resumed and it was prioritising those with the greatest clinical need first.

A spokesman for the NHS in the East of England said the pandemic had "had an inevitable impact on the NHS" in the region.

Patient group Healthwatch Essex said it had seen an increase in the number of complaints which involve delays in waiting times as well an increase in issues with the Mid and South Essex NHS Trust dealing with complaints.

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