Man in his 80s speaks out after his hip operation is cancelled 5 times by Milton Keynes Hospital

John Ryan, who lives on Downs Barn, is an ex publican who has always enjoyed an active life.

But he has been left in pain and struggling to walk after his much-needed replacement hip surgery has been cancelled repeatedly over the past three years.

Last week he thought the surgery was finally going to happen – only to be told the evening before that the hospital was too busy.

"It’s devastating,” he said. “I am in lots of pain and it is taking over my life… I have two hot water bottles to ease the pain and I use two walking sticks to walk.”

John’s wife Brenda is terrified he will fall and finds it hard to sleep through worry.

Some of the cancellations are believed to be due to the Covid pandemic. But on one occasion John was actually in a hospital gown and minutes away from surgery starting when the op was abandoned.

The surgeons realised he was taking blood thinning medication that could interfere with the surgery. But John says he had not received any instructions to stop taking the pills.

John is an active member of Chatterbox, a social club set up by Down Barn’s Cross and Stables Church, and he is their resident singer.

But he has been unable to attend the sessions lately because he is in so much pain.

“He has gone downhill rapidly,” said Cross and Stable minister Rev Dr Sam Muthuveloe, who is also a GP at the Sovereign Medical Centre on Pennylands.

The congregation is now praying that John will have his operation soon.

A spokesman for MK Hospital said: “Some of the cancellations were due to operational issues (either COVID or unplanned admissions meaning there were no beds available for his post op recovery) and some were due to medical issues. As he identified, he has previously been on the table for an operation but it was postponed as he had taken blood thinning medications.”

Last week we reported how the hospital chief executive Joe Harrison spoke out about the NHS, comparing the “failing” health service to a sinking ship.