Like a fool, I really believed when several times in the past couple of years I read that hospital waiting times had been drastically cut.

About three weeks ago, I began suffering severe abdominal pain that continues, although not so severely. My doctor was unable to diagnose the problem, so wrote to the hospital to book an appointment for me to have a scan.

I have just received a letter from the hospital, not with an appointment to have a scan, but to tell me the "minimum" waiting time is 15 weeks. This means if, God forbid, I have anything seriously wrong my chances of survival will have been seriously diminished.

-Name and address supplied