I have sent a letter of complaint to the head of nursing at the Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre following their cancellation of my lumbar depression operation. It was due to take place on November 21 and I had been waiting in the pre-operation area from 8am "gowned up" and ready, when it was discovered that an MRI scan was not with my notes and which was vital for my surgeon to carry out the procedure.

After waiting for almost four hours the surgeon apologised but said that due to the totally shambolic situation he had no option but to cancel and reschedule the oper ation. To have gone ahead without the scan, he said, would have been improper and a very dangerous thing to do, like digging in the dark.

Additionally, there was a shortage of sterile surgery packs with the sterilising procedure now outsourced rather than being done inhouse as it was previously.

He also said that this was happening all too frequently at the centre and that the equipment occasionally was not up to the high standards demanded by the theatre teams, causing them to be rejected and hence causing additional cancellations to operations.

I then read that there is a predicted NHS underspend of more than £1.8 billion for this financial year (The Argus, November 22). This has come on the back of delays in getting an epidural injection last year which was hoped would help with my condition. It took some eight months waiting before I finally got the injection in May, in the new financial year.

My operation has been rescheduled for December 17. The result is I will have to reorganise time off from work. This also applies to my wife while she assists me with hospital visits.

There is also the trauma associated with all the delays in preparation for the operation and post-operative care.

I just hope that something like this will not happen again to me or to any other patient.

  • IS Perry, Valley Road Newhaven