18 April 2012 Last updated at 03:52 ET

'Excruciating pain' as operations cancelled in Nottingham

Professor Angus is among those concerned about the level of cancelled operations

A former nurse says she is in excruciating pain as she waits for an operation which has been cancelled twice.

More than 500 non-emergency operations have been cancelled at two hospitals in Nottingham since January.

Hilary Righton, 53, is due to have her rescheduled hip replacement on Thursday but expects it to be cancelled for a third time.

The hospital trust has blamed an increase in emergency admissions.

Mrs Righton, from Sherwood in Nottingham, said that while she is technically a non-emergency, her quality of life is poor.

"It's extremely painful, and of course I'm a mother," she said.

"I can't keep up with any family life. The pain is excruciating. I've never known anything like it in 30 years of nursing.

"My friend, who is 65, was due to have a hip operation and she got to the table and hers was cancelled.

"This has got to be due to money."

'Worse in Nottingham'

The two hospitals affected - the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital - are run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Surgeon Professor Angus Wallace, who works for trust, criticised his employer in March for cancelling so many operations.

The trust said operations had been cancelled because of an unexpected increase in admissions, and budget cutbacks were not the cause.

It said the rates of cancellation have now dropped and it hopes to be on track by the end of this week.

The trust's chief operating officer, Jeffrey Worrall, said: "I apologise to Mrs Righton and to all the patients and families who have had their surgeries cancelled and for the distress caused."

The Patients Association, which campaigns for improved health care, said the problem of cancelled operations seemed to be worse in Nottingham.

Dr Mike Smith, from the Patients Association, said: "What are they doing to stop it happening in future if this sudden bulge happens again?"

"Somebody has got to be answerable for it."